


The Beika Periodicals

by discordiansamba



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-07-21 13:37:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 68,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7389121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/discordiansamba/pseuds/discordiansamba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of randomly updated oneshots, all of them DCMK themed, revolving around a variety of characters, situations, and pairings- some based on canon, others based on AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You've Got Mail!

**Author's Note:**

> puts my work on my multi-chapter DC fics to hammer out this oneshot based on a silly headcanon of mine. dark gosho aoyama, please show me the forbidden Heiji and Ai interactions.

The light vibration of her phone was enough to rouse Ai out of her slumber. She had never been one known for heavy sleeping, after all, not unless she was rather sick. Grumbling a little, wondering who could possibly be trying to send her something at... what time even _was_ it, she wondered, bleary eyes looking at the screen of her phone.

Precisely one in the morning, it helpfully informed her. She half wanted to ignore it and curl up back up under her covers, but there was the off chance that it might actually be something important. Yawning loudly as she opened up her inbox, wondering who it might be, she frowned for a moment at the listed name, trying to place it in her mind.

She had, after all, only really met this 'Hattori Heiji' all of once, and had barely spoken with him even then. They'd exchanged phone numbers in the event of an emergency, but Ai had always been the one expecting to contact him in the event of one, not the other way around.

One thing became rapidly apparent to Ai as she opened up the mail he'd sent her- that this was very definitely _not_ an emergency. The mail turned out to be a photo mail, and said photo mail appeared to be a picture of an iguana. Thoroughly baffled by this early morning photograph of an overgrown lizard, she scrolled down, hoping to get more context- and only found a single, short, incredibly unhelpful caption.

'Mustache lizard'.

Indeed, upon scrolling back up, Ai did notice that a timely placed piece of grass in front of said iguana did in fact, make it look like it had a mustache, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why the only other person outside of herself, Agasa, and his parents, that famed high school detective turned child, Kudo Shinichi, trusted with his secret, was sending her a picture of an iguana with a mustache. At one in the morning, at that. She would have been baffled by this during _normal_ waking hours, but what on earth was this Hattori Heiji doing at _one in the morning_ that prompted him to send a picture like this to a girl he barely even knew?

Kudo-kun's friends, she decided, were strange.  
________________________________________________________________________________

When she brought it up to the shrunken teen detective himself, a look of complete understanding crossed his face.

"So he started sending them to you too, huh?" Conan asked, giving her something that resembled a sympathetic look. If she'd asked him, he would have told Ai why it was a bad idea to give Heiji her phone number, but he hadn't exactly had the chance to amongst all of that commotion.

"Too?" Ai asked, her eyebrows arching ever so slightly. "Do you mean he sends such things to you as well, Kudo-kun?"

"All the time. I can't get him to stop." Conan grumbled. "He sends some to Ran too, but it's mostly me who gets them."

He wasn't quite certain what to make of his rival's somewhat unusual habit, to be frank. He didn't understand why Heiji felt the need to send him pictures of anything that caught his interest, at literally any and all hours of the day- he'd even gotten one at three in the morning at one point. He was starting to wonder if Heiji ever slept. What on earth was he even doing when he wasn't hanging around him? This was almost one mystery that Conan didn't exactly feel like solving.

The picture mails, of course, never had any real context, only captioned by unhelpful comments such as 'eyebrow dog' or 'murder ducks'.

"Is there any way I can get him to stop?" Cutting straight to the point, Ai had a feeling that she already knew what the answer might be.

"Not a chance." Shaking his head, Conan gave her a helpless shrug. "Unless you change your phone number, he's going to keep sending them to you."

" _Wonderful_." Came Ai's rather dry reply. "But why to someone he's barely even met?"

"Well, he's Hattori." Shrugging his shoulders once more, Conan gave her the slightest hint of a smile. "Odds are he probably already thinks of you as a friend, or something along those lines. That's the sort of guy he is." After all, the moment he'd discovered his secret, he'd pretty much automatically seemed to decide that the same person he'd once come all the way out to Tokyo to find and challenge to a deduction showdown was now going to be his new best friend. The sudden shift in gears had left Conan reeling to catch up, even if he returned the sentiment now (not that he'd admit that out loud, he wouldn't give him the satisfaction).

"Whether I want it or not, I take it." Ai closed her eyes, heaving a slight sigh.

Well, she supposed it was something she could live with. Maybe she should send some back, just so he could get a taste of his own medicine.  
______________________________________________________________

At the sound of his phone beeping, helpfully informing him that he had a message, Hattori Heiji glanced up from his motorcycle. Pausing to wipe his oil coated hands on a rag, he quickly plucked his cellphone out of his pants pocket, wondering who it was that was sending him a mail.

His usual wide grin quickly surfaced on his face as he saw who the sender was, and he eagerly opened it up, wondering what it was that little Neechan had sent him this time. Over the course of the past few months since he'd met her for the first time, he'd barely ever had a chance to interact with her face to face- but they'd developed a rather healthy phone correspondence.

One that mostly consisted of picture mails. It was a fact that pleased the Osakan detective. He himself wasn't quite certain how he'd picked up the habit of sending picture mails of anything that caught his interest to just about everyone he knew, but almost nobody ever sent any back. He wasn't quite certain what had spurred that girl to do so in the first place, but it made him rather happy.

Of course, the person he sent them to the most was still Kazuha, with Kudo following behind as a close second- but the hard third was none other than the girl known as Haibara Ai.

Beaming down at the picture of the sleeping cat that the little Neechan had sent him, Heiji fiddled with his phone, quickly setting the image as his new lock screen. He was more of a dog person himself, but it was a nice picture.

Once his work here was done, he should probably head out and find something interesting to send to that little Neechan, he thought himself. There was one of those cat cafe things that had opened up not far from his usual stomping grounds- she'd like that, he thought.

Now if only he could do something about that pesky ringtone of hers.


	2. (Un)amusement Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In retrospect, Shinichi probably should have seen the fact that Heiji was a huge thrill ride junkie coming- it was Kazuha that he didn't expect.
> 
> (Characters: Shinichi Kudo, Ran Mouri, Heiji Hattori, Kazuha Toyama, Kaito Kuroba)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just decided to turn my previous standalone oneshot into a collection where I could post assorted DCMK oneshots! I continue to write silly oneshots based on silly headcanons. I guess this is set in some kind of hypothetical future where Shinichi's back in his own body and everyone's dating finally? *long shrug*

Let's go to the amusement park, he'd said.

It'll be fun, he'd said.

He should have known from the look on Heiji's face that he should have outright _rejected_ this otherwise generous sounding double date offer.

"C'mon, we've barely even gotten started yet!" Completely oblivious to the suffering of his fellow detective in a way that only the Osakan detective could pull off, Heiji flashed him a wide grin. "Let's get in line fer the Atom Smasher again!"

"We've already ridden the Atom Smasher _four times_." Shinichi finally got out, just barely managing to catch his breath, casting a glower up towards his friend- one that proved to be _completely_ ineffective. "Can't we move on to something _else_ , Hattori?"

"Eh, but five's the magic number, Kudo-kun!" Kazuha chimed in, bustling with excitement. "Besides, this is our first time goin' ta Tropical Land, so Heiji an' I have ta make sure we get in the full experience!"

"W-well, perhaps we can ride something _other_ than thrill rides for awhile, Kazuha-chan?" Ran ventured, giving her friend a hopeful look. She appeared to be managing better than her boyfriend, who just about seemed ready to faint away dead on his feet. Before riding the Atom Smasher four times, they had ridden the Galactic Drop five times, and the Mystery Coaster at least seven times- in fact, she was pretty certain that they hadn't ridden anything _but_ thrill rides since they had arrived.

Heiji, they would have expected such behavior from, but _Kazuha_? In hindsight, they should have known that the both of them would be total thrill ride junkies- the signs were all there, yet somehow, they had missed them. Sometimes it was easy to forget just how _alike_ the pair of Osakan childhood friends could be- except for right now, as they both shared a mutual expression of excitement at the mere thought of going on the _very appropriately named_ Atom Smasher for a _fifth_ time.

"We can't do that, Neechan! What's the point of goin' ta an amusement park if yer not gonna ride on the thrill rides?" Heiji asked, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Right, Kazuha?"

"That's right, Heiji!" Giving her boyfriend a nod, Kazuha beamed from ear to ear, reaching down to take Ran's hands, hauling her off of the bench that she and Shinichi had collapsed on to catch their breath. "Amusement parks are all about thrill rides!"

"W-well, I suppose that's not necessarily wrong, but..." Ran trailed off a little, glancing over towards Shinichi, silently begging him to help her out here a little. There had to be a way to escape from this endless chain of adrenaline- and there were still plenty of thrill rides in the park that they _hadn't_ hit up yet.

Normally, she and Shinichi didn't mind such things, and even had fun on them- but not when they rode them over and over, with no breaks in between. Somehow or another, Heiji and Kazuha proved to be completely unaffected by this, and somehow or another, managed to be just as excited each time, excitedly screaming their lungs out at every sudden drop, sharp turn, or fast spin.

"You're killing us, Hattori." Shinichi said finally, placing a hand over his face. "Ran and I just aren't built like the two of you."

"Eh, really?" Heiji blinked, glancing between the pair, as if he honestly hadn't managed to notice this at all. Some detective he was, Shinichi couldn't help but think to himself- but then again, he was used to Heiji being completely oblivious to body language and social cues. He wasn't quite certain what _Kazuha's_ excuse was though.

"But they're fun!" Kazuha said with a slight frown, exchanging a glance with Heiji. "Well, I suppose if the two of ya aren't actually havin' a fun time, then maybe we could try somethin' else..."

At the crestfallen expression on Kazuha's face, Shinichi internally winced, sparing a brief glance over towards Ran- finding a groan escape him as he did. Watching as her expression visibly shifted as she saw her friend's disappointment, Ran quickly grabbed Kazuha's hands in her own.

"No, we're having fun! We can keep riding them together with you, Kazuha-chan!" Ran blurted out, almost without thinking. It only took her a moment to realize what she had just promised however, and she quickly blanched- but judging from the excitement on her friend's face, she knew that it was already far too late to take it back.

"Then, let's not waste any time then! C'mon, Kudo!" Grabbing Shinichi's hand and hauling him to his feet, Heiji and Kazuha's grins mirrored each other in a way that was almost more frightening than any haunted house.

What had they gotten themselves into?  
_________________________________________________________________________________________

"Kudo said no." Heiji reported with a slight frown, hanging up his phone. "How were things with Neechan?"

"Ran-chan said no, too." Kazuha said, the frown on her face mirroring that of the boy she had grown up with. Come to think of it, nobody they ever invited to go to an amusement park with them would ever accept a second invitation from the pair to do so again- why was that? "That's strange. I wonder why? Maybe they've got somethin' goin' on?"

"Yeah, that's probably it!" Heiji said with a nod. "After all, they had such a good time with us when we went ta Tropical Land, so I thought fer sure they'd jump all over a chance ta go ta USJ with us... but I suppose it can't be helped if they've got other things ta do. We'll just have ta invite someone else."

"Then, how about Aoko-chan?" Kazuha proposed. "We don't hang out with her an' Kuroba-kun all that much without Kudo-kun around. I think it would be the perfect chance ta get ta know 'em a little bit better."

"Kuroba and Nakamori, huh..." Heiji trailed off, before nodding his head, flashing her a bright smile. "Sounds like a plan, Kazuha! Let's invite them right away!"  
____________________________________________________________________________

When Kuroba Kaito informed the detective of the east that the detective of the west had invited him and Aoko on a double date to an amusement park, he didn't quite understand at the time why Shinichi had taken him by the shoulders, and gave him a very stern look.

"Good luck." He'd said.

By the time he understood what those words meant, it was already far too late to escape.


	3. Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was an important date, and so it called for something special.
> 
> Characters: Ai Haibara, Agasa Hiroshi, Ayumi Yoshida

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ai and Agasa's found family dynamic is so good so I wanted to write something sweet and fluffy dedicated to it? So here we go. It's cute. It's good. It made me happy.

She woke to the smell of something sugary sweet, and the realization that her alarm clock had very much failed to go off.

The latter was perhaps not a crisis- blissfully enough, it was a Sunday, so Haibara Ai could afford to sleep in. Still, it wasn't something she necessarily _liked_ to do, finding that it threw off the rhythm of her whole day. As she checked her clock, she felt a slight sigh escaping from her lips as she realized that she'd only slept in for an extra thirty minutes- hardly enough to cast a cloud over the rest of her day.

It was the sugary sweet smell that caught her attention all the more, and she narrowed her eyes, casting them towards the bed where the Professor slept. Noticing that the man was not there, she found herself heaving another sigh, this one with a touch of exasperation to it, as she put two and two together. Swinging her feet out of bed, Ai carefully slipped on her slippers, and made her way upstairs.

The sweet smell that had been wafting downstairs to the basement was unmistakably that of pancakes and maple syrup, she thought to herself. She had thought that the Professor had been up to something behind her back recently, but she never expected him to be as brazen as this. If he was going to start off his day by eating something as heavy as pancakes, she would make quite sure to inform him that he would need to watch what he ate for the rest of the day.

"Professor." Ai spoke up as she entered the kitchen, a sharp tone to her voice, one that didn't quite belong to a child of her size. Of course, that was because she wasn't actually a child, but rather, an eighteen year old- it wasn't as if she had her current appearance because she wanted it.

"Ah, Ai-kun!" The Professor actually seemed to perk up at her appearance, not giving her his usual guilt-ridden reaction upon realizing that she'd caught him out. "Go on ahead and take a seat. I was going to wake you up myself once they were finished, but seeing as you're already up, you might as well relax and wait."

A slight frown gracing her features, Ai nevertheless did take her usual seat at the table, staring curiously at the white haired man, watching as he flipped a pancake over, careful to not let it escape from the pan. "I won't tell you to throw out what you've already made, Professor, but if you're going to start your day out with pancakes, you'd be advised to mind what you eat afterwards."

"No, no, these pancakes aren't for me." Agasa told her simply, carefully transferring the pancake from the frying pan to the waiting plate, stacked four high. Letting out a breath of relief, he turned off the stove, setting aside the frying pan on an unused burner. "They're for you, Ai-kun."

"For me?" Ai blinked, positively perplexed by this development, watching as the man sat the plate down in front of her, alongside a bottle of maple syrup and jam of assorted flavors. Her look of confusion only grew as she watched the Professor merely retrieve a box of oatmeal for himself, placing some water in the kettle for it. "For what reason?"

It wasn't her birthday, after all. She'd never told anyone what it was in the first place.

"Don't tell me you don't remember?" Agasa asked, blinking a little. "Today's the very first day you started living with me, Ai-kun. Since you've never told me your birthday, this is the next best thing I can celebrate."

"Eh?" Blinking a little, as if not expecting that reason, Ai glanced down at the pancakes on her plate, the inviting smell of maple syrup wafting up from the nearby bottle. "Just because of that?"

"Yes, just because of that." Agasa said simply, nodding his head. "It's like I gained myself a granddaughter, after all. Of course, there's more than just pancakes!"

Without another word, Agasa quickly bustled out of the kitchen, only returning moments later with a wrapped present, which he all but thrust into Ai's hands. Uncertain of what else to do, she carefully took it from him, a befuddled expression on her face as she glanced down at the package that had been wrapped in glittering gold wrapping paper.

"Go ahead and open it." Agasa prompted her, a beaming smile on his face.

Not knowing what else to do, Ai carefully opened it up, making sure to place the wrapping paper aside on the table, so she could properly throw it away later. The paper revealed a white box, and the white box revealed-

"This is-!" Ai let out a slight gasp, a rare look of visible surprise in those eyes. "The latest Fusae brand handbag? Professor, this isn't even available in Japan yet, and is incredibly expensive beyond that! How did you get it?"

"I've been saving up for it for quite some time now." Agasa told her, a pleased smiled on his face. "Well, if there's one thing I have to apologize for, it's that it might be out of fashion by the time you can actually use it, but..."

"No!" Ai spoke up, rapidly shaking her head, for a brief moment, letting her rising emotions get the better of her. "I'll definitely use it, Professor!" She promised him, taking the bag in her hands, turning it over. "But you really didn't have to do something like this for me. I'm only just freeloading at your place, after all."

"Hardly!" Agasa's beaming face was all the reassurance that she needed. "Didn't I say it earlier, Ai-kun? It's like I gained myself a granddaughter. It might be somewhat presumptions of me, but I've come to consider you my family."

It wasn't like her to be overtaken by emotion like this. And yet for what felt like the first time in a long time, Ai felt a fond smile form on her lips, as she held the handbag close. Family, after all, was something that she had thought long lost to her. "Thank you. Really, really, thank you."  
________________________________________________________________

"Ai-chan, are you coming?"

"Just one second, Ayumi-chan!" Ai called out, pausing to check her bangs, making sure everything was in proper order. With a satisfied nod, Ai carefully grabbed her handbag, tucking her house keys away inside of it. "Professor, we're leaving!"

"Oh, have fun you two!" Agasa called out, glancing up from his computer, watching as the now properly high school aged girl made her way towards the entrance, carefully tugging on her shoes- the latest brand of high heels from fashion designer that Agasa couldn't even remember the name of, that Ai had saved up for at her part time job. "If you run into any trouble, be sure to give Ran-kun or Shinichi a call, and they'll come to pick you up right away."

"We're just going to the amusement park, Professor." Ayumi told him, giving the man a small smile. "I promise we won't get into that much trouble."

"You'd be amazed at the kind of trouble you could get into at amusement parks." Agasa observed. "Pass on my greetings to Genta-kun and Mitsuhiko-kun."

"We will." Ai promised him, standing up. "Come on then, Ayumi-chan. We'll miss the train if we linger around any longer here. Well then, I'll see you later, Professor."

Watching as the pair of teenager girls made their way out of his door, Agasa cast them a fond smile. In the end, Ai had decided against taking the antidote- and had decided to live out the rest of her life as Haibara Ai, a girl who had both friends- and family. A girl who worked hard at her part time job to earn extra money with which to buy the name brand items which she had to forgo for so long.

A girl who in spite of all that, still used a worn out, out of date, Fusae brand handbag, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.


	4. Black Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He knew that sooner or later, one of them was going to catch up with him- and he could only hope that it would be Kudo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for a oneshot that turned out to be uh, really long. Another good thousand words and it'd be about the same length as a regular chapter update of one of my multi-chapter fics, whoops! Anyways, this is an idea I've sort of been wanting to play with ever since I started writing Phantasmal Black, and it (probably almost definitely) falls underneath the realm of AU. I'm actually really pleased with this oneshot so I hope everyone enjoys it as uh, potentially soul-crushing it might be at times.
> 
> That's all for now! Thanks for reading!

In reality, he knew it was only a matter of time before someone caught up to him. This wasn't a situation that could continue forever.

He had thought many times about bringing it to an end himself, in one form or fashion. Most of them involved properly discussing the matter with the one who had become his friend before he even realized it, the famed detective of the east, who had been forced to disappear from the spotlight in order to protect his own life- and more importantly, the lives of those around him. Sometimes he worried that Kudo Shinichi didn't value his own life as much as he should, but it was exactly that kind of selfless nature that had impressed him in the first place.

Were he any different, the situation might have already ended long ago, and he'd have been the one to do it. Kudo Shinichi would have truly vanished from this world, his actions against the mysterious group known only to him as the Black Organization cut short before he could even truly raise a hand against them.

Instead, he'd lived, to strike several decisive blows against them, counterattacking them every time they thought they had backed him into a corner, all while not revealing the truth of his existence to them. It was incredible, really. Even as the boy gained more and more allies, he never stopped thinking five, ten steps ahead, prepared for any possible scenario that could be thrown at him, and throwing together plans in the blink of an eye for the ones that had managed to escaped him.

As clever as he was, he wasn't omnipotent.

He'd never once doubted him from the start, after all.

It was a bit hilarious, really, considering that the first time he'd met him, he'd brought along with him what he had thought at the time was a clear warning sign of his true nature. It was ironic, really. Never in a million years would he have suspected that the very liqueur his codename had been taken from would have been the key to begin unlocking the mystery behind the mysterious poison the boy had been fed on that fateful night that caused him to disappear, forced to live a lie, hiding from the world, pretending to be nothing more than a slightly smart first grade student by the name of Edogawa Conan.

Kazuha would have surely said that it was a sign. Heiji still viewed it as lucky coincidence.

He'd thought many times of bringing this whole farce to an end. Of speaking up, of saying something, of revealing his betrayal to his friend. But each time, he missed his chance. And each time, it got harder and harder to say anything, as the two of them grew closer and closer. He wasn't exactly sure when it was that they had become such close friends, but it had happened before either of them was even aware of it. From that point on, there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

And as Edogawa Conan- no, Kudo Shinichi, got deeper and deeper into the mystery of those clad in black, as he gained more and more allies, and the stakes became higher and higher, it became nigh impossible to tell him the truth. Too much time had passed, he'd become too close to him. What would it do to him at this point? He'd never questioned his loyalty from the start, not even in the millions of scenarios that he played out in his head, planning out strategies well in advance to counteract each one.

Out of all the scenarios that he considered, the fact that Hattori Heiji might be a member of the Organization was not one of them. It had never been one of them. In fact he was pretty certain that Kudo would be _offended_ on his behalf if someone so much as tried to tell him the truth. Like it was a bad joke.

It wasn't by choice, not really. If he could go back now and change the past, he would have accepted the consequences of what would have followed had that incident not been erased. It wasn't like he could blame his past self though. His reaction to what had happened, and everything that followed, was still understandable to him even now.

It had happened back in late middle school, when he'd started gaining a reputation for himself as a detective, when he started getting attention from the media. He'd reveled in it then, an excited grin on his face, happy that he was starting to be doing something he'd always dreamed of doing. He'd never admit to it, but it was his father who had inspired him to become a detective in the first place- he had admired him quite a deal when he was a child, and wanted to become someone like him. And now, case by case, he was living that very dream, developing a reputation for himself as a brilliant young detective.

So when he'd learned that he bore no blood relation to his father at all, nor to his mother, he'd naturally been shocked. What kind of people he _did_ bear blood relation to was what had nearly destroyed him. There were cracks, forming, all around him, threatening to shatter the world that he'd built for himself, to destroy everything. In the back of his mind, he was well aware that this was probably blackmail, watching as the pretty reporter twice his age almost gloated about the documents that she had in her hands, all the proof that she needed to release a rather scandalous story, the kind of thing the media would have eaten up, the kind of thing he'd never be able to escape from.

One that would not only surely destroy his own dream- but might take his father down with it. His father, who he admired, even if he never said that much, never spoke such words aloud, who had taken in the orphaned son of murderers out of a sense of pity and duty, who had taken him in because his wife was still distressed after losing her fourth child, who was almost catatonic with despair after the doctors told her that her life could be on the line if she attempted to have another. His father, who had brought him into his own home, and raised him as his own child, and never once questioned the sort of person he'd grow up to be, in spite of knowing his origins far better than he did himself.

It had been an accident, really.

In all of her gloating, she never noticed that she'd taken a wrong step. When she lost her footing, he'd even tried to help her, to keep her from falling- but he didn't react fast enough, didn't reach out his hand quick enough. Her head broke open on the bottom step, painting the area around where she fell a vivid red. It was an instant death, nothing could have been done about it, nothing could have saved her.

It _had_ been an accident.

But with those papers in her bag, he already knew that the world wouldn't view it as one. He _should_ have done the right thing back then- but hell, what kind of fifteen year old was going to be thinking straight after the news he'd gotten? Certainly not _him_ , given how overly prone to emotion and impulsive action he still was to this day. Kudo might have been able to do the right thing, steadfast and prepared for anything that might have happened afterwards.

But fifteen year old Hattori Heiji? Not a chance.

It wasn't until he was already home that he realized he'd taken her papers and her recording device with him. He'd been in a daze, really, not that that was much of an excuse. Really, none of it was an excuse for anything. What his reasons were really didn't matter- it didn't matter that the Organization had found out about the incident, it didn't matter that they had used that information to blackmail him, it didn't matter that they eventually came to whisper threats of what would happen to those around him if he tried to leave them, their gazes fixed on the one person that Heiji knew that he could never stand to lose.

None of that mattered anymore, none of that changed anything.

Talent, prospect, and _location_. Those were the three key reasons that they had their eyes on him in the first place. If they begun at a young enough age, he'd become a splendid member before he knew it.

And he really had.

By the time he crossed paths with the one known as Kudo Shinichi, he already felt that this fate was something that he couldn't escape from. By that time, he'd already been given a codename, had already sunk himself deeply into that Organization. The smiling face of Hattori Heiji was slowly becoming something of a mask, his real nature straying further and further away from that of who he had been. He'd done too much, said too much, knew too many things. Slowly, bit by bit, piece by piece, he really was becoming the one they had come to call Paikaru.

It wasn't all bad, really. Not everything that they used him for was horrible, as loathe he was to admit it. He was talented with languages, as it turned out, and there was usually very little that was objectionable about serving as a translator. He purposefully began to study more and more languages for that reason, before he knew it becoming fluent in any number of languages, so many that he nearly lost count at times. It came naturally to him- he was a proper polyglot, really, and they used him for that with great zeal.

The other reason behind his pursuit of language was, of course, so that if the day ever came, he could disappear to almost anywhere in the world. As much as he saw no exit for himself now, that didn't prevent him from planning ahead, thinking up ways to vanish, to go where they couldn't reach. Their organization was international, but it wasn't omnipresent- there were any number of third world countries he could vanish into if he needed to, so long as he could speak the language.

Should that day ever come, the worst possible scenario would have already played out. Heiji could only hope that it would _never_ happen.

But when it was bad, it was bad. Even worse was the fact that he was becoming increasingly numb to it all. Even after meeting Kudo, even after changing for the better, there was still a certain sense of numbness that lingered, an indifference which only managed to heighten is guilt.

His reputation as a high school detective and his connections to his father made him the perfect candidate to help root out and chase down traitors within the Organization, be they members, or those who the Organization had blackmailed. He was the perfect person to get close to those people- and the perfect person to betray them. On good days, all he had to do was lure them somewhere, and his job ended there.

On bad days? The Organization had taught him any number of skills, skills which he had on more than a few occasions, put to use.

Given that he'd been sent on a mission to investigate Kudo Shinichi, and to determine if he had really died, he honestly didn't know _why_ he hadn't said anything when the supposedly dead high school detective himself had suddenly shown up at the crime scene. He'd jokingly wondered if it were perhaps love at first sight, but given the way he'd been so awed by him, the way that he had been so entirely against Heiji's expectations, maybe that wasn't so far off after all.

Whatever the case, he said nothing at the time, biting his tongue and burying the truth from those who asked. He'd seen nothing, he'd heard nothing. As far as he knew, Kudo Shinichi was still dead, given the way he'd all but disappeared after giving his deduction, almost like a ghost. There was still a mystery there, still a hint of something that needed to be solved- and so Heiji continued to chase the scent, as much for himself as for the Organization now.

He was curious.

It was that scent that drew him to the meeting of Holmes fans, and although he was disappointed to not find Kudo there as he expected, he nevertheless did find some familiar faces- the Mouri family and their young, curious ward. A ward that became more and more curious after a murder happened before his very eyes, as the investigation proceeded and he began to notice him more and more, seeing in him an echo of the one he'd been sent to track down.

_"Yer Kudo, aren't ya?"_

Edogawa Conan and Kudo Shinichi were one and the same.

This was the very answer that he had been sent to find, and though it was one that sounded absurd on his lips, it was the truth. And yet, even so, he still didn't say anything, pretending he'd seen nothing, he'd heard nothing, he knew nothing.

It probably wasn't until he met him next that he began to understand _why_. Being a detective had once been his childhood dream, but even though he'd been gaining praise right and left for his deductive abilities, that dream had lost it's luster. There was no spark, no passion behind it. No joy at having correctly identified a culprit, nothing. The Organization wanted him to polish his skills, seeing great promise in that area one day, and with that knowledge weighing on his mind, the appeal of chasing a mystery had slowly begun to wane.

Kudo Shinichi was the spark that brought it all back, lighting up his world in a way that it hadn't been for a long time. He hadn't even realized how deeply he was drowning in black until he came into his life, slowly bringing color back into it. Suddenly, there was excitement again- working together with him to solve the mystery at that mansion had unlocked something within his heart, something that he thought long buried.

And he was more grateful for it than Kudo would ever know.

And yet, at the same time, it made everything all the harder.

_"Hattori- have you... have you ever killed someone?"_

There was no way he could ever tell him the answer to the question that had managed to catch him so off guard was _yes_.

Kudo would tell him about it later- what had prompted him to ask that question, how he was still haunted by what had happened on Tsukikage Island. How he couldn't save the culprit, couldn't prevent them from committing suicide, letting their body be consumed in flames, heading on to join the rest of their long departed family. How he cursed his tiny body, how he was certain that he could have done more had he realized sooner, had he not gotten so caught up in his deduction.

How he couldn't prevent a woman named Miyano Akemi from being killed by the Organization. How he had gotten there too late.

He hadn't noticed the way that Heiji had swallowed at the mention of it. He'd already heard about that incident himself. Something about the woman wanting to free her sister from them- a girl scientist not much older than he was by the name of Sherry. He'd never met her, but he knew her reputation- and he knew full well that she was the one who had developed the poison that had caused him to shrink in the first place.

Poison that he happened to have himself. Poison that he couldn't think of a way to give to Kudo without revealing everything. Poison that he wanted to hand over to him, poison that he fantasized that would make Kudo forgive him for everything if he gave it to him, but knew that he wouldn't.

Heiji never thought he'd be able to become the kind of person who would take a bullet in order to keep someone from killing themselves. Maybe it was Kudo who changed him, or maybe that had been in him all along, and he'd just managed to forget it as he slowly became someone he wasn't. In that ambulance, as those gathered worried that he wouldn't survive, he almost wondered what he'd done to deserve any of that.

Of course, none of them knew. None of them knew who he was, what he'd done.

Especially not Kazuha. _Never_ Kazuha. He never wanted her to know what type of person he'd become, how he'd strayed so far away from the bright world where she lived and thrived. How he wasn't certain if he could ever quite make it back there. He tried to push her away sometimes, but she would always push back, invading his life like she never had any intention of leaving it, no matter what he said to her.

Maybe it was good for him. Whenever he thought he was at risk of falling too far, she was there for him, holding out her hand, a bright smile on her face. Before he had met Kudo, she had been Hattori Heiji's only lifeline, bringing him out even when he was certain that the smiling teenager had ceased to exist. She'd probably saved him more times than she realized, and not just because of her lucky charm, which sometimes felt like a lead weight around his neck whenever she hung it there, fussing about him having left it behind again.

When he realized he was in love with her, he had sworn considerably in every language that he knew- a rather impressive litany, all told. Of all the things that he hadn't planned for, developing romantic feelings for _anyone_ \- much less his childhood friend, who he treasured so much _already_ \- was right up there on the top of the list. He was so convinced that he didn't have that in him, that he didn't even notice his own feelings for her until it was far too late. They'd already taken root.

_"What the hell are ya doin' to my Kazuha!?"_

As if he had any right to say something like that.

Because even as Hattori Heiji continued to assist Kudo Shinichi whenever he asked for it, Paikaru still continued to work for the Black Organization, always holding his silence, but never objecting to any of the missions that they handed to him. He didn't have that privilege, acting against their interest as he was. If he hesitated, they'd know.

On one occasion it had lead him to come to meet Kudo, the smiling mask of Paikaru firmly in place, wearing it so well that the shrunken detective couldn't even tell. He wasn't certain how he felt about that.

Go investigate the mysterious woman who has started snooping around, they'd said. An English teacher by the name of Jodie Saintemillion, who apparently taught at Ran's school. Go and confirm if she's really with the FBI like we suspect she is. It wasn't as if it was his intention to approach Kudo with this mission in mind, the Professor had merely just happened to call around then. But the fact still remained that he'd taken the chance provided him without a second thought, effortlessly acting as both friend and foe without anyone noticing.

He really was a better liar than people gave him credit for. Being a wonderful liar while acting as a terrible one was a piece of Paikaru's mask he could never fully take off.

_"Isn't there one? A strange, foreign woman around you."_

The suggestion had slipped naturally out of his lips. The best method of approaching the woman involved using the fact that he was one of Edogawa Conan's friends to his advantage, to get close to her without her so much as suspecting a thing. She would never second guess one of 'Cool Kid's' friends, and she never had.

He'd _used_ Kudo. He felt awful about it, sure, but even so, he hadn't thought twice about it. Heiji wondered sometimes if he would have done it differently today, and then decided not to dwell on it, afraid of what the answer might be.

Guilt had already become a familiar friend to him at that point. Everything would have been so easy for Kudo if he could just be honest with him and confess that he knew far more about the Black Organization than he had been letting on- of course he did, he was one of them. One of those same people that he despised, one of the ones who had torn him away from his normal life, had forced him into hiding, had changed everything.

Maybe it wasn't hopeless, though. He'd seen the way that he treated that Haibara girl, that girl that he knew had once been Sherry. Of course he knew who she was- searching for traitors was part of what he did. More than anything else, it was what he was most known for in the Organization. Paikaru was one of the codenames those who betrayed the Organization feared the most, though most of them had no idea that he hadn't even so much as graduated high school yet. Suffice to say he knew everything about her, it wasn't hard to recognize her face, just ten years younger, given what he already knew Apotoxin could do.

Maybe he _wouldn't_ hate him after all if he knew the truth, wouldn't cast him out as a traitor. Maybe he'd even try to help him.

But the difference between him and Sherry was the fact that Sherry _hadn't_ been working for the Organization all along. She'd run away from them, betrayed them outright, and that was why that old man Gin was looking for her with such fervor. As much as she blamed herself for creating that poison, she had no blood on her hands, much as she seemed to be convinced otherwise. She wasn't the one running around and using it, after all.

When he'd first met her, Heiji almost felt his heart skip a beat, feeling as if this surely would be the end of everything. And yet, strangely enough, she didn't react to him at all, didn't even so much as bat an eye at him. Like Kudo, she never once questioned him, never once suspected that he might have any connection to the people she was trying to run away from.

He probably had Kudo to thank for that.

Acting as Paikaru had become all to easy for him over time. It was something that was ceasing to be a mask, one he wore to survive, and starting to become his real face. Meeting Kudo changed all of that, turning Paikaru once more back into a mask, one that he could still slip on effortlessly, but one that he didn't wear easily any longer. If it was Kazuha who kept him grounded throughout all those years, it was Kudo who helped turn him back into the person he once was, before any of this had begun.

And if that brought with it an overwhelming sense of guilt and a deep sense of regret for everything that he had done, a burden that he would have to live with for the rest of his life, then that was fine. For the first time in a long time, he found himself wanting to truly just be Hattori Heiji again, the high school detective of the west, Kudo Shinichi's rival and best friend. He wanted nothing more than to cast aside the still necessary mask of Paikaru, to fully embrace the hotblooded, sometimes reckless, often impulsive detective that had earned him so much criticism from the likes of his fellow high school detectives.

_"I guess they call such a person an 'unqualified detective'."_

It was that case that really helped him come to understand just how much he'd changed. It was true that he was an unqualified detective, but it was hardly his hotblooded nature that marked him as such. If anything, that was an improvement- he'd taken it to heart more than Kudo had realized, when he quietly spoke words of support for him. He didn't deserve them, honestly, but it still made him happy to know that his friend really did value his skills as a detective.

They couldn't know. They could never know. He'd drag this secret to his grave if he could.

Sometimes he'd forget that he carried that mask at all. But it would never last that long. There was always something that reminded him.

Truthfully, he thought his death sentence would come after that night on the haunted ship. He'd been half tempted to tell Kudo that he couldn't help him, but he knew that after coming this far with him, he couldn't abandon him like that. His friend needed him, and damn it, if there was something that he could do to help him, then consequences be damned, he would. Whatever happened after that would happen, he thought, making as many arrangements in secret as he could, before he arrived in Beika.

The mask he wore that night was a very literal one indeed, for a night allowing him to become none other than the one he'd come to value so deeply, the one he wanted to protect even as he lied to him.

He probably never would have gotten through the aftermath without Vermouth, ironically enough. Not only did she know about Kudo, it seemed as if she had long since known about him- and for whatever reason, she found it amusing, and had decided to say nothing. So when he had lied and told Vodka that he had decided to impersonate Kudo Shinichi in hopes of drawing out information about him, hoping to learn if he was truly dead, Vermouth had been the one to happily supply that she had been the one who had instructed him to do so. There was a look in her eyes that he knew, one that told him that she owed him a considerable favor now, and that she one day expected it to be paid in full.

She held her tongue, and he held his.

There were still whispers after that, of course, but they had been settled when Paikaru carried out his next mission without hesitation. After the quite literal mask he'd worn on that ship, he slipped on the metaphorical mask once more, shifting from hot to cool. There was a man who they believed was at risk of betraying them to the police. He'd holed himself up at a certain hotel, and wouldn't come out for anyone, waiting for a contact that he had in Interpol to arrive.

When they both finally came out of the hotel, Paikaru had been waiting. It was finished within two shots, before anyone knew what had happened. He'd spent two days staking out the hotel, and it had been over in an instant. Packing his bag, concealing the rifle within a guitar case, he'd effortlessly slipped back into the crowd, blending amongst everyone long before they had been able to figure out where the sniper had shot from. Even as a familiar pair of Tokyo MPD officers hurried past him, he slipped by them without them even so much as recognizing Hattori Heiji underneath Paikaru's mask.

This too, was something the Organization had taught him.

_"He'll be scary in the future."_

Kazuha's father had said that in regards to his deductive abilities, but if he had never ended up crossing paths with Kudo, that very much well might have been true in a way that the man saying them never would have expected. In a few more years, he might have completely lost himself to the Organization, and it would be _Hattori Heiji_ that would become the mask, not Paikaru. It terrified him to think about now.

When Kudo stopped contacting him about the Black Organization, Heiji feared the worst. That he had realized his secret without him having to say anything, had finally learned the truth that he had been hiding from him all this time. But when he suddenly called him out of the blue one day to talk about a mysterious female detective who had appeared with questions about Kudo Shinichi on her lips, he breathed something of a sigh of relief.

The guilt only managed to grow, especially once he realized that the reason Kudo had suddenly started keeping him out of affairs dealing with the Organization wasn't because he didn't trust him, but because he had come to value him so much that he didn't want to put him at risk. He'd become someone so important to Kudo, that he'd become someone that he wanted to protect, to keep safe from their reach. It was touching, moving- and it also made him feel like the worst person alive.

Because he _still_ couldn't bring himself to say anything. At this point, it was already impossible. His overbearing sense of guilt, and his fear of destroying his friendship with this person who had changed him for the better, who had dragged him out that black abyss, sealed his lips.

Any illusions that he might have about Kudo forgiving him were long gone now. Too much time had already passed, too many things had gone unsaid.

He wondered how much trouble Kudo might have avoided if he'd just told him everything that he knew. He already knew who Bourbon was, it was part of why he'd been trying very hard to avoid crossing paths with the young man named Amuro Tooru- they'd already met, in entirely different circumstances, using entirely different names. If he crossed paths with him as Hattori Heiji, and he came to learn that he'd been aiding those chasing the ravens all this time, he knew that it wouldn't end well.

He admittedly _hadn't_ known that Bourbon was a mole, working for the secret police. Although he refused to involve Heiji while he was still looking into the matter, he _did_ tell him a number of things afterwards- though he'd skipped over the identity of the mysterious young man living in his real house. Heiji was able to guess who he was anyways, judging from the intelligence he'd gotten from the Organization itself. They'd never crossed paths while he was undercover in the Organization, thank god, Heiji had still been a novice without a codename then- but he'd more than heard of him.

FBI investigator, Akai Shuichi. What Gin would have given for that kind of information. This too, would be something that Heiji would take to his grave, alongside the location of Sherry, and alongside the true identity of Edogawa Conan. Hell, he'd take Bourbon's true identity with him to the grave as well, and he honestly wasn't even quite sure if he even _liked_ the guy. He'd _definitely_ use it to blackmail him into silence if it ever came to that, though.

There was always a sense of worry that manifested in him every time he visited Kudo. Even as he joked with him, even as he worked to solve cases with him, even as they interacted as best friend and rivals, he always wondered when the day was that he'd hear his own codename roll off of his lips. That he had caught a whisper, a rumor, of an Organization member by that name who worked out of Osaka. One who hunted traitors, one who was fluent in more languages than he could count on both hands, one who was regarded as a budding detective.

One that he wanted Heiji's help in catching.

What would he tell him then? The truth?

_"Ya already caught 'im long ago, Kudo, he's right here. It's me."_

No, he couldn't say that. If anything, he'd work against him, trying to keep him from finding out for as long as possible. It might be a fruitless effort- whenever Kudo finally managed to drag the Organization down, the truth would probably emerge in the fallout. Disappearing might not be a bad idea after that.

The bad thing about having become a better person was that he was _certain_ that nobody would forgive him for the things that he had done, because he sure as hell didn't. And he wasn't certain if he could handle that. There was still plenty of good stuff in the world he could do to try and balance it out, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to disappear once the Organization fell, once the truth came out, trying to pick up his life somewhere else, becoming someone else once more.

Most of all he didn't want to see the looks in their eyes when they realized the truth. Not Kudo, not Kazuha, not his mother, and certainly not his father.

What face would be the easiest to give them when they did? Would the answer change depending on who he was dealing with? Hattori Heiji's, racked with guilt, full of apologies but no excuses- excuses were meaningless when weighed against the things he'd done. Or the mask of Paikaru, the liar, the one who could wear a smile even as everything went to hell around him, could act like this had all been part of one long con to ensure his own survival as everything fell apart.

Provided he even had a _choice_ , that is. It was his second worst fear- crossing paths with Kudo when he was working as Paikaru, in a situation that he couldn't explain himself out of. He hadn't noticed anything the one time they'd met when he was wearing the metaphorical mask- but he'd also been Paikaru acting as Hattori Heiji at the time. Should a situation arise where they crossed paths as detective and Black Organization member, Heiji knew full well there would be nothing he could do to stop Kudo from realizing the truth- and he'd have to watch him do it.

But even that would be better than what would happen if the _Organization_ learned the truth. He wasn't so much worried about his own life- he knew the ins and outs of how they hunted traitors like the back of his hand, it was part of his job after all. Disappearing would be a simple matter. Rather, it was the lives of those he would leave behind- he could only hope that vanishing into the ether would be enough to cause the Organization to leave them be.

One day, _someone_ would catch up to him.

And honestly, Heiji prayed that it would be Kudo.


	5. Sweet as Strawberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to a newly opened ice cream parlor brings an exchange of ice cream flavors.
> 
> Characters: Sera Masumi, Suzuki Sonoko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen if no one else will write the SonoSera content that I crave, then I'm just going to have to do it myself, okay. I will fight a man over this ship bring it on.

"It's a shame that Ran couldn't make it." Letting a disappointed sigh escape from her lips, Sonoko cast her eyes towards the bright pink color of her ice cream cone, a stark contrast against the otherwise white decor of the new ice cream parlor. It had been her plan to invite both Ran and Sera to it that Sunday, having heard good things about it from her classmates- but while the invitation itself had gone off without a hitch, only the latter had actually shown up.

"It's not quite the same without her." Sera agreed, taking a bite out of her dark chocolate ice cream, having opted for a more practical cup. She'd never had any luck with ice cream cones. Her childhood was filled with dropped scoops of ice cream, when she didn't just outright drop her entire cone on the ground. It was usually either Shukichi or her mother who would come to the rescue in such circumstances, silently handing their own ice cream to her, who wasn't the type to cry- but was nevertheless obviously quite upset.

"Well, maybe she just wanted to give the two of us a chance to be alone?" Sonoko lightly teased, a mischievous grin crossing her face. Her words were meant to be a joke, of course, but it was true that she didn't always have many chances for alone time with Sera Masumi, who had quickly become a close friend of hers since she'd transferred to her school. "She's always been the thoughtful type like that."

"Maybe so." Sera replied simply, matching Sonoko's playful grin with a coy look of her own. "Well, I do hope Conan-kun gets to feeling better soon. Does he catch colds often?"

"What, that brat?" Sonoko asked, heaving a long sigh. "Yeah, all the time." She told her, carefully giving her ice cream cone a quick lick, not wanting it to melt all over her. Nothing was more unpleasant than sticky, ice cream coated hands, she thought to herself- but if one was going to an ice cream parlor, one had to have an ice cream cone!

That was how normal girls did it, right? Well, Sera was having her ice cream in a cup, but she was far from a normal girl, so she thought that she probably wasn't too off the mark. Ran, she thought to herself, would have also gotten an ice cream cone, surely.

"Sounds tough." Sera said, taking a bite out of her ice cream. "Maybe we should swing by Ran-kun's place a little bit later, and see how they're doing."

"We could bring them a carton of ice cream!" Sonoko perked up at the suggestion, glancing behind her. "See, they've got some over there."

"Oh, you're right." Sera noted. "What flavors do they like?"

"Well, I don't know about the brat, but Ran's pretty fond of vanilla, if I recall correctly." Sonoko noted, taking a small bite out of her own cone, savoring the strawberry flavor. There was something about this obviously artificial flavor that she just couldn't get enough of!

"The opposite of me, then." Sera noted, holding her plastic spoon up slightly in the air. "Want a bite of mine, Sonoko-kun?"

"Oh, don't mind if I do!" Sonoko said, quickly taking the girl up on the offer, taking the bite that had been offered to her. "Mm, not bad. Want a bite of mine, in exchange?"

"Don't mind if I do." Sera said, leaning over to take a quick lick of Sonoko's own cone, gaze flickering up towards her cheeks as she did so. It was faint, but she could just barely make out a tint of pink on them- nearly the same shade of the ice cream in question. "Not bad. You were right, Sonoko-kun. The ice cream here is pretty good. Maybe I should have gotten strawberry myself."

"Right?" Sonoko asked, flashing her a quick grin as she took another small bite out of her ice cream, pushing aside the flustered feelings that had arisen in her a second ago. Her offer had clearly not been one that she had fully thought through- though she couldn't say that she regretted it. "We really should bring some back for Ran. I feel sorry for her, stuck looking after that brat."

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as calling Conan-kun a brat myself." Sera said, frowning slightly, before blinking. "Ah, you've got something on your cheek."

"My cheek?" Sonoko asked, grabbing a napkin, quickly wiping one side of her mouth with it. "Did I get it?"

"It's on your other cheek. Here, let me get it." Sera told her, leaning close across the table- before a sly grin crossed her face, and she quickly licked up the strawberry ice cream that stained Sonoko's cheek with her tongue, grinning from ear to ear as she watched the other girl turn a bright shade of red.

Licking her lips and savoring the strawberry flavor, Sera couldn't help but find the slightly flustered reaction of the girl across from her rather cute. "I got it for you, Sonoko-kun."

"Sera-chan..." Sonoko finally spoke up, putting a hand on her cheek. "If you wanted to steal a kiss, you missed my lips."

At the bark of laughter that Sera let out, Sonoko couldn't help but grin. "Oh, by the way, Sera-chan." She began, a mischievous look of her own surfacing in her eyes. "You've got something on your face as well. Let me get that for you."

This time, Sonoko missed her cheek entirely, instead planting a quick kiss on the lips of the other girl, a faint taste of chocolate on them lingering behind even as she pulled away. "There, it's all gone now!"

More than a little caught off guard at having her own move turned around against her, Sera couldn't help but cast a slightly amused grin back Sonoko's way. "You missed my cheeks."

"Who said _anything_ about your cheeks, Sera-chan~?"


	6. When Drunks Speak of the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't often that Heiji wound up flat up drunk long before Shinichi did, but on such occasions, the Osakan detective seemed to ramble more than usual.
> 
> Characters: Kudo Shinichi, Hattori Heiji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen when you have a silly oneshot idea sometimes you just have to go along with it, and sometimes you just have to go along with it right away. also featuring some of my future headcanons I guess.

"Listen Kudo... _listen_."

It wasn't all that often that Heiji was the one who ended up being flat out drunk before him- as much as Shinichi hated to admit it, between the two of them, _he_ was the one who was the lightweight. Heiji usually could go on drinking unaffected for hours- unless he made the mistake of downing a particularly potent alcohol all at once, such as he had not even ten minutes ago.

Resulting in the current situation.

The twenty three year old private detective was stretched out over the bar, his hands dangling just over the counter, head turned slightly so he cast that drunken grin of his towards Shinichi. It wasn't often that it was just the two of them who went out drinking- usually Kazuha and Ran were there with them, but with Ran now being six months pregnant, the two women had decided on some other way to spend their evening other than a night out at the bar.

"What is it, Hattori?" Shinichi asked, heaving a sigh as he set down his beer. At the very least, Heiji seemed to be doing most of his rambling in Japanese this time, so he obviously wasn't _completely_ drunk yet. If he were, he would be dancing in and out of every language that he knew, and given that his rival had turned out to be a virtual polyglot, that was saying something.

As he'd also found out, it was always best just to let Heiji get all of his drunken rambling out, after which he would almost always promptly fall asleep. That just left getting the dozing, drunken detective home as his only challenge- which would be _so much easier_ were Heiji not almost an entire head taller than him now. He wondered if Sera were available- she had more or less evened out at the same height as Heiji, and would be more than happy to princess carry the Osakan back to the apartment he shared with Kazuha.

"Listen." Heiji said again, holding up one hand, giving his rival and sometimes detective partner a wide grin. "My kids are the best."

"Hattori, Kazuha's not even _pregnant_." Shinichi stated frankly, arching a brow. "You don't have any children."

"No, but listen, listen." Pushing himself up off the counter, Heiji spun around on the bar stool, placing his hands firmly on Shinichi's shoulders. "I will. An' they'll be the best kids. Way better than yers."

"It's not really a competition." Shinichi stated plainly, blinking slightly. So apparently even though he was rambling in a language he could still understand, Heiji was determined to nevertheless not make any sense. "Besides, my daughter hasn't even been born yet."

"She's not gonna take after you, ya know. Or Neechan. She's gonna take after her grandma." Patting Shinichi's shoulders as he said so, Heiji finally removed his hands from them, giving him an impish grin. "An actress! Famous! But still, she's not gonna be _half_ as cool as my kids. Kazuha's gonna have twins, Kudo! Identical twins! I win by default with that."

"Again, Kazuha's not even pregnant." Shinichi stated, heaving a long sigh. "Well, it's not like there's anything wrong with it if she wanted to become an actress anyways. Mom would be thrilled."

Although, he had to admit, there was a small part of him that wanted his children to follow in his footsteps- not that he would ever force them, mind.

"And? What is it about your hypothetical children that makes them cooler than my hypothetical child? Or children, since you seem convinced that Ran and I are going to have more." Shinichi asked, taking another sip of his beer. He needed to be a little bit drunker to deal with this kind of conversation, he thought dimly. "Aside from being identical twins."

"They're cooler cause they take after _me_." It was almost touching how proud he seemed of these children who, incidentally, did not yet exist in any shape or form. "Identical twin girl detectives! Ya don't really get any cooler than that. An' they got that... that eye thing, with the two different colors, the you know..."

Rattling off several different words in several different languages while searching for the one that he wanted, Shinichi couldn't help but heave a sigh as he mentally sorted through them. He might not be able to understand half of them, but he could at the very least identify what language they were. Granted, he couldn't help but wonder when Heiji had the occasion to pick up Portuguese- he was pretty sure that last he checked, it wasn't a language that he knew.

"Heterochromia?" Shinichi offered, watching as his friend perked up at his suggestion, patting Shinichi on the shoulder again, giving him a boisterous laugh.

"Yeah, that, that! Ain't that the coolest?" Heiji asked him, practically beaming from ear to ear now. "We're gonna name 'em Hikaru an' Hikari, an' they'll be the best kids ya ever did see Kudo. An' they're gonna love ya too."

"I'm flattered that your hypothetical children are fond of me, Hattori." Shinichi stated flatly, heaving a slight sigh. He didn't quite know what to make of the mental image of two, tiny female Heijis running around- he'd always been hoping that any children Heiji and Kazuha might have might take after their mother instead. There was no _telling_ what kind of trouble not one, but _two_ , children with Heiji's personality would get into, especially with none other than Hattori Heiji himself as their father.

 _Good luck, Kazuha_ , he silently thought to himself.

"Just ya wait, Kudo. They're gonna be the best!"

"Yes, yes, I'm certain that they will, Hattori." With a long sigh, Shinichi took another sip of his beer- he _definitely_ needed to be a bit drunker if Heiji was going to spend the evening pretending that he could predict the future.  
_______________________________________________________________________________

When his seven year old daughter proudly declared her intention of becoming a famous actress to him, it was the final nail in the coffin.

True to Heiji's word, the daughter that Ran eventually came to give birth to did in fact, bear a striking resemblance to Shinichi's mother- which thrilled Yukiko to no end. That, Shinichi thought, could have still been a coincidence. Not even a month later though, Kazuha announced that she was pregnant with twins, both girls. Surely even that could still be a coincidence, Shinichi told himself.

For his part, Heiji himself seemed to recall nothing about his drunken predictions- but then he rarely remembered anything he did when he was drunk, thank god, there was a certain King's Game from when they were in college that Shinichi was praying he _never_ remembered.

But when Kazuha had given birth to a pair of two identical dark skinned girls, who looked at the world through one green eye and one blue eye, even Shinichi had to admit that maybe, just maybe, Hattori Heiji had in fact, managed to somehow predict the future while _flat out drunk_.

Which, oddly enough, admittedly _wasn't_ actually the strangest thing the Osakan in question had ever done, thinking back on it.

Both girls, named Hikaru and Hikari just as Heiji had promised, had shown an early interest in detective work- which perhaps wasn't all that surprising considering how carelessly their father would bring them to crime scenes with him every now and again. That, frankly, didn't surprise Shinichi in the least bit- they _were_ talking about the same person who thought it was perfectly acceptable to give what he thought was a seven year old Chinese booze, after all, claiming that it was a cure for the common cold. He'd _never_ figured out what Heiji had been carrying that stuff around with him in the first place, since he'd only seemed to have given it to Ran's father as an afterthought.

So when his oldest daughter proudly declared that one day, she would outshine even her own grandmother, Shinichi was finally willing to admit that his good friend might perhaps, in fact, be ever so _slightly_ psychic. He'd briefly mentioned it to Ai, and although there had been a faint glimmer in her eyes then, he didn't quite understand what it meant until two hours later, when he received a quite literal distress call from Heiji.

"Kudo, that little Neechan's standin' out in front of my house, sayin' somethin' about runnin' tests on me. Please send help."


	7. Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heiji's eyes, she decided, were completely unfair.
> 
> Characters: Toyama Kazuha, Hattori Heiji

Sometimes she wondered if he had any idea of how damnably _pretty_ his own eyes were.

If she had to hazard a guess, the answer would be no. In spite of being a well known high school detective who had solved countless cases, there were any number of things that her childhood friend, Hattori Heiji, was completely clueless about. While her feelings for him was chief among them, they surely weren't the only thing he was oblivious about.

Heiji's dark skin came from his grandfather, his thick eyebrows came from his father, and his eyes? His eyes came straight from his mother.

And sometimes she just couldn't get enough of looking at them.

She loved everything about them- from their blue color, to his rather long eyelashes. Really, they were almost too pretty to be wasted on a guy like Heiji, who had no knowledge of just how enchanting they were. As much as she loved the smile that he wore on his face whenever he solved a case, Kazuha couldn't help but puff out her cheeks a little whenever he turned that beloved cap of his around, switching on the trigger that allowed him to focus on the case at hand.

Because as much as she loved that smile, she also loved his eyes- and when his cap was worn forwards, they became harder for her to see.

She'd mentioned it to Ran once, and although her friend had given her a small laugh as she vented her frustrations, she did sheepishly mention in the end, that yes, she in fact thought that Heiji had very pretty eyes. While she loved Shinichi's eyes the best, of course, she did willingly admit that she wouldn't describe them as _pretty_ \- when Kazuha had pushed Ran for the words that she did want to use, the girl had squeaked, turning a bright shade of red, expertly changing the topic and avoiding the issue entirely.

She'd get back to her on that someday, Kazuha thought to herself.

"Kazuha? Hey, Kazuha, are ya listenin'?"

"H-huh? Oh, yes! I am!" Giving Heiji a quick nod of her head, Kazuha gave him something of a sheepish smile. There was no way she was going to admit that she'd actually found herself lost in his eyes for a moment- absolutely no way. "Do continue, Heiji."

"Ya weren't listenin' at all, were ya." As Heiji's eyes narrowed, Kazuha couldn't help but flush a little underneath the intensity of his gaze. "Honestly, an' ta think yer the one who's always complainin' that I don't listen to ya all the way through, an' here ya are, doin' it yerself ta me."

"Well, ya know what they say, Heiji." Kazuha said lightly, a slightly amused grin crossing her face. "Turnabout is fair play."

"Oh, is that so?" Heiji asked, leaning his chin into his hand, quirking a brow. "You were lost in thought about somethin', weren't ya?"

"Well, ya could say that." Kazuha confessed. "It's not anythin' important though, so don't worry about it, Heiji."

After all, there's no way she was going to tell him that the subject she'd been lost in thought about was none other than his eyes. His uselessly pretty eyes, which were now fully fixed on her, making the beat of her heart quicken it's pace just a little.

"If ya say so, Kazuha." Blinking a little, Heiji nevertheless cast a slightly fond smile towards her. "Anyways, like I was sayin'-"

As she watched the way his eyes lit up and sparkled as he continued his story, Kazuha couldn't help but worried if the gods were perhaps, playing a trick on her. When you wrapped up those beautiful eyes in the package that was her childhood friend, then there was no way that she _wouldn't_ wind up falling in love with him eventually. It was almost as if they had laid a trap for her.

Heiji's eyes, she decided, were _completely unfair_.


	8. Makeup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He never quite expected putting some of the skills he'd learned as Kaito Kid to use like this, but there was no way he could let Aoko leave her house looking like that.
> 
> Characters: Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito

"That's... certainly a look you're sporting there, Aoko."

"Is it really that bad?" Glancing at her own reflection in the mirror with a frown, Aoko's brows knitted together as she studied her face. She thought that she hadn't done a bad job of applying her own makeup, really.

"I've seen worse, but..." Trailing off there a little, Kaito heaved a slight sigh, rubbing the back of his head. When he'd come over to Aoko's house to check on her, he hadn't expected to find her in front of the bathroom mirror, having dug out her mother's old makeup kit from the mementos that her father kept. He expected even less to find her attempting to _put on_ said makeup. "Why the sudden interest in makeup, Aoko? You usually don't care about that sort of thing."

With a slight frown, Aoko grabbed one of the washcloths that hung behind her, dampening it and wiping off her face wordlessly before she even so much as gave him a response. She got the feeling that Kaito was trying to be tactful in his response- which was rare for him- in that case, she must have done a much worse job than she had thought.

"You know, it's the party Aoko's been invited to tonight." Aoko finally told him, glancing back at him with a slightly worried look on her face.

"Ah, that awards ceremony party that Kid is supposed to show up at?" Kaito asked, blinking a little. "That's right, now that you mention it, you said something about your father getting you an invitation to it. But you seemed pretty excited about it at the time- what's wrong now?"

"Aoko guesses she got a little self-conscious." She sheepishly admitted after a moment. Normally, this kind of thing didn't bother her, even if people did like to tease her for being childish. "You know, there's going to be all those famous people and stars there. And all Aoko has to wear is that old party dress that dad bought her awhile back. Aoko got worried that she'd stand out in a really bad way because of it, so she thought that maybe if she tried to spruce herself up with some of her mother's old makeup..."

"I see." Letting a long sigh escape from his lips, Kaito folded his arms in front of his chest, looking over at the girl he'd known since childhood, with makeup still smeared on her face, a washcloth not being nearly enough to remove it all. "That explains it. But Aoko, I don't think you need to go that far. I don't think anyone's going to make fun of you."

 _You're cute enough as it is already_ , Kaito couldn't help but think to himself.

" _But_!" Aoko began, puffing out her cheeks slightly.

"Well, how about this then? Why don't I help you with your makeup?" Kaito asked, a slight grin appearing on his features. He might not agree with Aoko's worries, but he wasn't about to flat out try and invalidate them. If it gave her confidence a bit of a boost, he was more than happy to help her out.

"Hah? Why would you know anything about makeup, Bakaito?" Aoko couldn't help but ask, casting him a skeptical look.

"I know plenty, Ahouko!" Kaito responded, making a light use of the teasing nickname this time. "When I was a kid, I always used to think my mom putting on her makeup was some kind of magic trick, so I used to watch her a lot. I still remember a lot of things from then. Besides, if you don't like it, you can just wash it off, so what's there to lose?"

Well, that was partly a lie. It was true that he'd sometimes watched his mother apply her makeup whenever she had a big event to attend- but that's not where he'd learned such skills from. Those had come later, after he'd taken up his father's mantle as Kaito Kid. Mastering makeup skills went hand in hand with mastering disguise skills, as far as he was concerned.

"Well, fine. But don't make Aoko look weird!" There was still some slight hesitation in her eyes- but at the very least, she was willing to give it a try. Kaito did have any number of strange skills- if he knew how to apply makeup, then frankly that wouldn't really surprise her all that much.

"Trust me, I couldn't possibly make you look any weirder than you made yourself look." Kaito teased her, even as he carefully worked to clear away the last traces of the makeup that she had applied herself from her face. "Leave everything to me, Aoko. I'll make sure you're the belle of the ball!"

"It's not a ball, Bakaito."

"It's a figure of speech, Ahouko."

It was only after he'd finished applying her makeup that Kaito had realized that he'd made a horrible mistake. An utterly terrible, horrible mistake, the likes of which he could not excuse.

He'd made Aoko _too cute_.

It wasn't the way her eyes lit up as she saw her own face in the mirror that was the problem, nor the way that this made the beating of his heart quicken. Those were all good things, he thought. If Aoko was happy, he was happy. No, the main problem was that he had fulfilled his promise- there was no doubt that Aoko would be the cutest girl at that party, the belle of the ball- and that was the problem.

Because at said party, Kaito knew there would be any number of sleazy playboys. He knew this for a fact, since he'd checked the guest list. Even though Aoko didn't know it herself, he was going to attend the very same party- just not as Kuroba Kaito.

The prospect of Aoko being hit on by said sleazy playboys was almost enough to make his blood boil. No, no, no- that was not something that he would allow. Absolutely not. Those kinds of creepy guys had no business going anywhere _near_ Aoko, however cute she was.

It was then that he decided what his next course of action needed to be. It might involve changing some of his plans around at the last minute, but what was life without a little bit of improvisation? It only served to make things exciting.

If he'd accidentally made Aoko into the cutest girl at the party, then he would just have to become even cuter than her. It would be a rather simple matter for him, he thought. He'd make _damn sure_ all eyes would be on him- but first, he had to find the right dress.


	9. Birds of a Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...don't necessarily flock together. (AU)
> 
> Characters: Hakuba Saguru, Hattori Heiji, Toyama Kazuha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea as to why I started thinking about this AU but anyways, I present it to you in oneshot form. Please take it from me, I laughed too hard in various places while writing this. This was a lot of fun, so I might revisit parts of this AU in the future on the off chance anyone's interested.

It had started with two strange bumps on his upper back, around the area of his shoulder blades.

At the time, it didn't give him much cause for alarm. He had, after all, been thrown into a wall during a case the other day, so having some kind of bruising, even of a raised sort, really wasn't that odd. Still, he'd arranged with his housekeeper to make a doctor's appointment for him, just to be on the safe side. One must always mind one's health, after all.

It was a day later that the itching started.

Logically, Hakuba knew that he shouldn't. And yet, the temptation was almost overwhelming, even for someone such as himself, and he found himself scratching at his shoulder blades on a semi-constant basis, even as he irritated the skin around it more and more by doing so. He wasn't certain if it was this, or whatever was already causing these strange symptoms, that brought about the mild fever that he was now dealing with, but as the week went on, his symptoms seemed to get worse and worse.

What started as just a temptation to itch soon became pain, a hot, throbbing pain as if there was something pressing on the inside of his shoulder blades, trying to come out. He half wanted to just pull his skin aside and let out whatever it was that was begging to come, but of course, he knew that he couldn't do that.

His housekeeper was concerned, saying that perhaps it would be for the best if he went to get himself checked out at the hospital before his appointment with the Hakuba family doctor, and frankly, he agreed with her. In fact, he had just been on his way there when he had been stopped in his tracks by the sound of a scream- and sick though he was, Hakuba wasn't about let that stop him from looking into the source of it.

As it turned out, he wasn't the only one.

"Ya look seven shades of awful today, Hakuba."

Admittedly, he wasn't quite certain what it was that brought none other than Hattori Heiji out to Ekoda that day, and to be frank, he really wasn't in the mood to deal with the hotblooded detective today. He had half the mind to leave the murder case that had cropped up to him- as much as he might not always agree with Heiji's methods of investigation, he'd come to accept the fact that at the very least, he wasn't half the unqualified detective that he had first thought of him as. The case would be in decent enough hands with him.

It was the fact that he knew Heiji would never let him live it down if he backed out of a case and left the whole thing to him that stopped him. That was something that Hakuba very much did not want to deal with. Not now, not ever.

"I've been a bit ill lately." Hakuba told him frankly, seeing no reason in keeping the truth from him. There was no shame in being sick, though he found himself doubting that Heiji had ever been so in his life. "I was actually just on my way to pay a visit to the local hospital."

"We'd better wrap up this case real quick then." Heiji stated, and the half-British detective couldn't help but note a hint of concern on his voice. So it appeared that the hotblooded detective felt something for him other than just annoyance- that was somewhat surprising, really. "What's wrong with ya?"

"A fever, mostly." Hakuba said. "There's been a strange itching sensation around my shoulder blades as well, and a localized pain within that area." Watching as a slightly strange expression came across Heiji's face, before he knew it, the Osakan had come around behind Hakuba, lifting up the back of his shirt without a second thought to get a look at things himself.

"W-wait a moment, Hattori-kun!?" Hakuba started, taking a few steps away from him, trying to tuck his shirt back into his pants again, completely losing his composure at this unexpected violation of his privacy. Even _Kid_ wasn't nearly so intrusive as that! "What was that for?"

"Man, ya don't need a doctor fer somethin' like _this_. Though I admit, it's a bit late fer 'em." Scratching the back of his head, Heiji cast him a curious look. "Unless... don't tell me that ya don't even _know_?"

"Don't know _what_?" Hakuba asked, eying him with suspicion, hoping that he didn't get any other strange ideas about violating his personal boundaries again. Once was enough, thank you very much.

"Ya _don't_ , do ya?" Heaving an exasperated sigh, Heiji could only rub his forehead, as if somehow, _Hakuba_ was the one who was causing the headaches here, and not the other way around. "Well, whatever. Let's finish up here real quick an' then we can get ya some help. Not from any _doctor_ though."

Before Hakuba had a chance to ask why Heiji had punctuated that sentence with a loud snort, the Osakan detective had already resumed his investigation, turning his attention away from him. With a slight glower as he realized he wasn't going to get any quick answers for Heiji's odd behavior, Hakuba begrudgingly set himself to the investigation as well, eager to turn up the real culprit of the case, even as his head swam with fever.

That he would wind up collapsing at the end of the case was perhaps, not that much of a surprise. He probably shouldn't have run to the crime scene in the first place, he thought to himself, barely able to comprehend what was going on around him. He was aware that a cluster of people had gathered around him, and that there were a number of voices buzzing about. He dimly became aware of when someone hauled him up off the ground, all but slinging him over their shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

What happened after that was a total blur, as he weaved in and out of consciousness, his awareness hindered by both fever and pain. The pain was the worst of the two, Hakuba thought when he had a moment's clarity- it was sharp and unceasing. It almost felt as if his back was tearing itself apart. It was almost more than he could bear.

He knew that he had been moved somewhere, but he didn't quite know where. What he did know was that Heiji still appeared to be around- he could catch snippets of his voice from time to time, as well as the voices of others. Dimly, he realized that they all seemed to be speaking using an Osakan accent, and he couldn't help but wonder if he'd wound up in Osaka somehow. He could barely even understand what they were saying, only able to make out snippets here and there, and what he did catch was mostly befuddling to him.

_"-he doesn't even **know**."_  
_"-more intense when it happens when they're older."_  
_"No wonder the two of ya don't like each other."_  
_"-goddamn **feathers** everywhere."_

Hakuba had become so used to the sensation of pain that when that pain finally lifted, leaving behind only a dull, throbbing sensation and an exhaustion that filled him to the bone, he could barely believe it. Dimly managing a look at his surroundings before he succumbed to his aforementioned exhaustion, he couldn't help but notice that he appeared to be perhaps be in a traditional Japanese home- and in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but recall that Heiji lived in one that was very similar.

Sleep was a relief, he thought, finally giving himself over to it. It felt as if he hadn't slept in at least a week. There were still so many thoughts buzzing about in his head- like what this new weight on his back was, but he didn't have long to dwell on it. He'd think on it more when he woke up, he thought, before slipping into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, free of fever and free of pain.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________

"Oh, ya finally woke up."

Grimacing slightly at the sound of Heiji's voice, Hakuba slowly opened his eyes. Although he recognized the sound of his fellow detective's voice right away, it took him longer to place _why_ he was hearing it right after waking up in the morning. It took awhile before his fragmented memories finally caught up with him- that's right, he'd been at the scene of a murder when he'd collapsed all of a sudden. Someone had taken him out of there, that someone very likely being Heiji himself, he was able to deduce now.

But after that, everything else was a huge blur of pain and fever. He remembered the pain lifting, and then exhaustion overcoming him. He hadn't even had the time to really question anything before he'd passed out from it. Now that he was feeling considerably more awake and aware of his surroundings, he realized that he was currently lying face down on a bed, his head all but buried within a pillow.

Which was odd, considering he usually slept on his back.

"Hattori-kun?" Hakuba finally spoke up, wondering if his confusion was audible in his voice. Speaking of his back, he could feel a strange weight on it that hadn't been there before. It was as if his brain was trying to process something and failing, the dots being something that were too difficult for him to connect. "Where exactly am I?"

"My place." Heiji replied simply, giving him a shrug. He'd pulled up a chair next to Hakuba's bed, and was watching him with rather curious eyes. Hakuba was unable to help but notice that he was sitting in it backwards, resting his arms on the frame of the chair- of course he couldn't simply sit in a chair like a normal person. "Don't ya remember collapsin'?"

"I most certainly do, but I don't see how that resulted in me ending up in Osaka." Hakuba replied, unable to keep a somewhat dry tone out of his voice. Although he was feeling considerably better than he had been in a long while, his head was still spinning. "Did you put something on my back?"

At the way Heiji snorted at the question, an amused grin flashing over his features as he shook his head, Hakuba could only narrow his eyes. "God, ya really _don't_ know a thing, do ya? Sucks ta be ya, I guess, bird brain."

"Bird brain?" Pushing himself up off of the bed, Hakuba couldn't help but feel a sense of offense to his words. "What is that even supposed to mean, Hattori-kun?"

"An' people call _me_ the dense one." Heiji mumbled to himself, before jerking his head towards Hakuba's back, casting a pointed look towards it, before pointing towards a mirror that hung off the nearby closet. "See fer yerself."

"For myself...?" Blinking slightly, Hakuba finally managed to steady his thoughts. As if by some instinct that he didn't know he possessed, he could feel something stretching out from his back, making a sound that he was already rather familiar with from his faithful hawk. It was also, incidentally, a sound that he should have no way of reproducing himself. Even as he pushed himself to his feet, stumbling a little from the new weight on his back, Hakuba couldn't help but feel he had a strong idea of what he was going to find, absurd though it was.

Wings.

Huge, feathered wings. The feathers that covered them appeared to be a mix of golden and tan colors, forming a pattern that reminded him once again of his beloved pet. With one hand, he slowly reached behind him, carefully stroking one of the wings in question- and with the sensation of touch that was transmitted straight to his brain, any belief he might have that this was some sort of strange prank was put to an end.

"So ya see?" Heiji asked, that wide grin of his having not faltered once during this process of discovery. For all the world, he was acting as if this were a _normal_ turn of events. "That's why yer a bird brain. But I suppose it can't be helped if ya didn't have any idea, I guess. I'm guessin' it's probably yer dead mother then that ya got them from. No idea why they waited this long ta come out though. Should've happened when ya were a kid."

"Why are you acting as if this is something _normal_?" Hakuba asked, slowly turning around to face Heiji. "Human beings normally don't grow _wings_. This must be some kind of dream."

"Ya want me ta pinch ya?" Heiji asked, rising to his feet, tucking his hands into his pockets. "That can be arranged, ya know. Besides, while it's true that humans don't grow wings, yer probably only part human ta begin with, Hakuba, so it's not like it's a big deal."

"No, I'm quite certain that this is the _very definition_ of a big deal." In spite of everything, he found himself steadily growing somewhat more collected, enough to get a slight headache at the easy way Heiji was dealing with all of this. Rubbing his forehead and trying to put his thoughts in order, Hakuba carefully studied the Osakan detective through narrowed eyes. "And what do you mean, only part human? You've been talking nonsense for awhile now, Hattori-kun."

"Honestly, ya just grew wings, an' yer still actin' like that. Yer even worse than Kudo." Grumbling to himself, Heiji rubbed the back of his neck, as if considering something. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Most people would react like ya, I guess, if they thought they were full humans the whole time. As it turns out, I guess the two of us have somethin' in common after all, other than our old men."

"Something in common?" Hakuba asked, before making a connection. "Don't tell me that you also...?"

"Well, I'm still a bit different from ya, though. I suppose the best thing is fer ya ta see fer yerself, though." Heiji told him, ending his sentence with a quick grin. Pausing to rub his shoulders for a second, it took Hakuba a moment to comprehend what was currently unfolding before his very eyes. Suddenly he found himself understanding just how _accurate_ a descriptor the phrase 'hotblooded' was in regards to the likes of Hattori Heiji.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, a pair of wings unfurled themselves from Heiji's back, where there hadn't been any before. Unlike his own feathered ones, Heiji's wings were covered in scales, their hue an orange color that resembled bright flames. Scales which didn't just end on his wings, surfacing suddenly on other parts of his body- around his eyes, running up his arms, covering his hands and feet. His eyes themselves changed- though the blue color remained, the pupils slit themselves, shrinking back. It was perhaps the thick, lizard-like tail that emerged that was the final nail in the coffin for Hakuba, as for a brief moment, his brain almost entirely ground to a halt.

This was _hardly_ a turn of events that the had been expecting. With one hand, he reached up, finally deciding to take Heiji up on his earlier suggestion, and carefully pinched himself. The sharp pain the action sent through him made it clear to him that this was not some kind of surreal dream- that this, somehow, was reality, as absurd as it was. Not only had he somehow, impossibly, grown wings, but that Hattori Heiji was also...

"You...?" Hakuba blinked, slowly coming back to his senses. No good, it wouldn't do to lose his composure around Heiji- even now he could still see that amused grin of his, a glimmer to his changed eyes that hinted to the fact that he was enjoying watching his reactions. Still, even so, that was easier said than done. "You couldn't possibly be some kind of..."

"Dragon?" A quick burst of flames burst forward from his lips as he spoke, as if to illustrate his words. They danced in the air, before quickly fading away to nothing. With a casual shrug, the tip of his tail gave a slight twitch, a playful look dancing in his eyes. "Half, on my mother's side, at the very least."

"So, Hakuba. Ya still think yer in some kind of dream?" Heiji asked, folding his arms in front of him, his amused look not showing any signs of fading from his face anytime soon. "But ya know, ya should really be glad that ya ran into me. If you'd gone to a hospital, not only could they not treat yer symptoms, ya'd wind up blowin' the lid off of everythin' fer the lot of us, an' probably windin' up becomin' some kind of test subject yerself. Ya should thank me."

"This is _absurd_." Hakuba couldn't help but sputter, rubbing his head. Finding himself pacing the room, his movement still somewhat unsteady due to the added weight on his back, Hakuba tried to fully gather all of his thoughts. "But this is real, isn't it? I have... and _you're_..."

"It's real." Heiji told him, giving him a curt nod of his head. "I'd offer ta let ya see my other form, but we don't have the space fer that here, an' it'd draw way too much attention outside."

"Other form...?" Hakuba trailed off, for a moment not processing what he was implying- but when he got it, it was all he could to heave a deep sigh, unable to help but notice that even his wings seemed to slump in response. "No, that's quite alright Hattori-kun. Just that transformation is quite enough for me today. I can't believe this."

"I can't believe a horse guy is actually a bird guy." Heiji said with a simple shrug of his shoulders, the very tip of his tail twitching back and forth ever so slightly as Hakuba paced. He'd honestly never expected that Hakuba would have ever been someone who was on his side of the veil- but god, was he ever enjoying watching him so utterly lose his composure. "Well, don't worry though. We might not be on that great of terms, but I'm hardly gonna through ya out in the cold, Hakuba. I'll teach ya everythin' ya need ta know."

"Then I will gratefully accept that offer, Hattori-kun." Hakuba said after a moment, finally pausing in his pacing to turn his full attention back towards him. "For starters, is it actually possible to put these things away? You didn't have yours until just a minute ago, so..."

"It sure is!" Heiji reassured him with a bright smile, folding his own back up, the great wings that had stretched out behind him all but vanishing into his back, even as his other draconic features remained. Hakuba couldn't help but find himself questioning how it worked, logically speaking, and soon found his thoughts once more spiraling in circles. Perhaps it would help, in just this one instance, for him _not_ to attempt to try and apply logic to this situation.

That too, was easier said than done.

"Don't worry yer pretty boy head about anythin', Hakuba! Ya can crash here fer as long as ya need, an' in the meantime, like I said, I'll teach ya everythin' ya need ta know!"

For some reason, Heiji's words only brought to him a vague sense of apprehension.  
____________________________________________________________________

"Why did you somethin' like that, ya _idiot?!_ "

"It's fine, it's fine. It's the same way my mom taught me." Patting his childhood friend on the shoulder, Heiji flashed her a grin, even as the sound of Hakuba's scream still rang out in the air, audible to them both. "Besides, it's just the ocean under this cliff, so it's not like he's gonna die or anythin'."

"That doesn't mean it's okay fer ya ta just _push Hakuba-san off of a cliff!_ " Kazuha sputtered, almost unsure of what to make of both what her friend had just done, and also this new information that the method Shizuka had used to teach her son to fly in the first place was to just chuck him off the nearest cliff. She'd always assumed his mother had a gentler approach to teaching.

"Sure it does. He's the one who asked me ta teach him ta use 'em in the first place." Heiji told her frankly- even as he was unable to keep his amused smirk off of his face. It wasn't every day he got the chance to kick Hakuba Saguru off of a cliff, so when he had the chance right in front of him, he definitely was going to take it. Rather, he was just surprised that Hakuba had even allowed him to bring him that close to the edge of a cliff in the first place without realizing his intentions. What happened to being a sharp detective?

"Ah, he stopped screamin'." Heiji noted, his ears able to catch the sudden ceasing of the sound, something which he knew Kazuha couldn't. "Guess he figured it out."

"Or he's _dead_ , an' ya just became a murderer." Kazuha remarked, casting a skeptical eye over towards her childhood friend.

"Like I said, there's no way he'd die from bein' shoved off of here." Heiji said.

"I certainly _thought_ I was going to for a few moments, however." Hakuba's dry reply could barely be heard over the sound of his own wings flapping, and more importantly, the sound of his own heart pounding inside of his chest- though he imagined he was the only one who could hear that. He should have known that he shouldn't have trusted Heiji for one second- it was foolish of him to ask the half-dragon detective to try and teach him anything. Finally landing back on the safety of solid ground, Hakuba resisted the brief, very out of character, urge to kiss it.

How on earth did Kuroba manage to soar through the skies on that hang glider of his, night after night? While Hakuba wasn't the type to have a fear of heights, being that far above the ground with nothing to support him had proven somewhat more heart stopping than he'd anticipated.

Granted, being shoved off of a cliff _certainly_ didn't help matters. Eyes catching Heiji's amused grin, he knew he shouldn't have trusted him for one second.

For better or worse, he'd found himself spending a month at the Hattori residence, coming to terms with the fact that he was, in fact, apparently not fully human- and what's more, had grown wings. _Nevermind_ the fact that the one known as the high school detective of the west had turned out to be _half-dragon_. Still, he'd found his time with Heiji's parents rather enjoyable, actually, in between his kind mother, and his father, whose police work that Hakuba admired greatly. Heiji himself was a mixed bag- and today, he thought, was going to be one of the days in which he could care less for him.

Over that course of time, he'd come to learn any number of things. The first among them was the fact that yes, Heiji's childhood friend, Toyama Kazuha, was _fully_ aware of her friend's inhuman origins, and had known since long ago. She herself was fully human, however. It didn't seem to bother her in the least bit, really, as she saw no reason as to why it should. Heiji was just Heiji, regardless of whatever kind of blood flowed through him, regardless of the fact that he could breathe fire as naturally as he could air.

Yes, of course Heiji's own father knew what the woman he'd married was, but no, he hadn't known that back when they had first started dating. He'd accepted the truth easily enough when Shizuka had confessed it to him, once she realized that their relationship was quickly becoming something serious. No, Shizuka wasn't actually hundreds of years old- she was exactly the age that she seemed to be, and had grown up among humans, as did countless other dragons, having long since blended into human society. Her parents were opposed to her marriage to a human man, but she'd been stubborn about it, and eventually, they had been forced to accept the matter.

Yes, both Shizuka and Heiji alike could turn into proper dragons themselves. The transformation seemed all the harder for Shizuka's half-human son, so he didn't like to do it all that often, not unless he had good cause to. They could both very much still speak human language even that form, something which had briefly caused Hakuba's head to reel, hearing Heiji's voice come out of a beast that all but towered over him, and looked as if he could flatten him if he so much as stepped on him.

No, they didn't know anything about his mother, other than it was unlikely that she was human. There were apparently numerous species of near-humans who possessed wings who lived alongside humans, and it was hard to say which one she was. As it turned out, winged near-humans and dragons had a long standing rivalry, with dragons claiming that they controlled the domain of the sky, and that any other beasts that challenged them for it would be swiftly brought down. Of course, in modern day, such things had been put to rest- especially once humans themselves took to the skies, creating airplanes to transport themselves. If there was one thing that a dragon applauded, it was ingenuity, and once even the wingless humans found a way into the skies, the whole matter of who owned it had become a moot point to them.

No, there shouldn't be anything that would deter Hakuba from living a normal life even now. Heiji was living as a normal human himself, after all, as was his mother. As he'd promised, Heiji had taught him how to fold away his wings, and though he still couldn't help but question the logic behind it, he was quite grateful to not have them always trailing behind him. Once he was ready, he would leave the Hattori household behind him, and return to his own life- he'd already given both his housekeeper and his father a call, using the excuse that he was working on a difficult case for the time being, and would come home when he was done.

Hakuba had no plans on telling _anyone_ about what he'd discovered about himself. As amusing as the idea of chasing Kid with his own wings was, he knew that the plan would be foolish, and quickly shelved it.

Speaking of Kaito Kid, he'd finally figured out the _real_ reason why as of yet, Heiji was the _only_ high school detective that hadn't attended a Kid heist. Because _yes_ , as it turned out, hoarding behavior was quite real- and Heiji was no exemption to this. Hakuba had pulled up a floorboard in his room to discover that the floor beneath was filled with all kinds of sparkling things- everything from glass beads, to small hand mirrors, to marbles, to a rather sizable ruby that Heiji refused to give him an explanation for as to _why_ he had it in the first place. His father had long since forbidden Heiji from going to any place that he knew would be filled with jewels- or anything that shimmered underneath the light, really. Unlike his mother, Heiji's control of such instincts was, apparently, _far_ from the best.

This information somehow did not surprise Hakuba in the least. Impulse control did _not_ seem to be something that the hot-tempered Osakan had a handle on to begin with.

No, the boy from the Mouri detective agency that Heiji was on such good terms with, had no idea that Heiji was anything other than human. Nor did Kudo Shinichi, who Hakuba already knew that Heiji also seemed to be on good terms with. He'd asked about it of course, having been somewhat curious if anyone outside of the Hattori and Toyama families knew the truth, but Heiji had merely shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean, I'm gonna have ta tell him _someday_." Heiji had simply said.

Because _yes_ , as it turned out- even though Heiji's own mother was really only in her mid-forties, it was true that dragons could live for hundreds of years. Heiji had observed that his own life span would probably only be half of that, but that he'd probably stop aging somewhere around his twenties- that certainly went a long way to explaining why his mother appeared to be so very youthful. So eventually, he'd have to come out with the truth, and confess everything to his friend, because eventually, he was going to pick up on the fact that Heiji wasn't aging like the rest of them.

Hakuba hadn't been certain what to say in regards to that, so he'd simply said nothing. He didn't envy him that conversation.

Thankfully, Hakuba's own life span would be that of a normal human's, he was glad to know. Even _he_ had people that he wouldn't want to leave behind- in spite of everything, he'd found himself becoming rather fond of that infernal Kaito Kid- and the classmate that he was quite certain was Kid. Those around him as well- Aoko and even that curious Akako girl. And of course, his housekeeper and his father.

"Now, now, now, there's no need ta get angry at me, Hakuba." That cheeky grin of his not leaving his face, Heiji patted him on the shoulder. "Ya learned how ta fly in the end, didn't ya? See, I told ya I'd teach ya everythin' ya needed ta know!"

"When I agreed to that, I had assumed that your methods would be less Spartan." Hakuba couldn't help but observe, carefully edging away from the cliff, just in case Heiji got any bright ideas of _repeating_ that stunt. "Thank you for protesting to his methods though, Toyama-san."

"No, it's no problem, Hakuba-san." Kazuha told him with a smile. "That _idiot_ doesn't think the things he does through more than half of the time, honestly. Pushin' people off cliffs is a new one though." Shaking her head, she let out a long sigh, before her smile quickly returned, casting it in Hakuba's direction once more. "Well, I'll be here ta keep an eye on him if he tries ta get any other bright ideas, so ya can rest easy, Hakuba-san."

Ah yes, Hakuba thought to himself, as he caught the rather intense glower that Heiji had been sending his way ever since the very moment that Kazuha had smiled at him. That rather intense jealously of his- that, it appeared, was entirely due to Heiji's dragon blood as well.

Lord help any man who ever earnestly attempted to come between him and Kazuha, he couldn't help but think to himself. They'd be a dead man.


	10. Take a Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She'd always been stubborn about this sort of thing, for as long as he could remember.
> 
> Characters: Kudo Shinichi, Mouri Ran

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's just a quick little Shinran oneshot that just popped into my head. Set pre-series!

"You're sick, aren't you, Ran?"

"Of course I'm not, Shinichi. Whatever would give you that idea?"

Heaving a long sigh as he carefully studied his childhood friend, Shinichi folded his arms in front of his chest. That much was obvious to him just from one look, really- he didn't need to be a detective to be able to see something this obvious. "Your cheeks are flushed, for one thing, and the rhythm of your breathing is also off. And also, your blazer is inside out."

"Eh, oh no, is it?" Glancing down at her school uniform, the redness that tinted her cheeks had nothing to do with her fever this time. It really _was_ inside out- and she hadn't noticed a thing until now. Carefully taking it off to fix it, Shinichi reached out a hand, helping her out of it- and then quickly pulled it away from her once it was free from her arms, folding it over his own. "Wait a second, Shinichi, I still need that!"

"No you don't." Shinichi's tone brokered no arguments. "You're sick, so you need to rest, Ran. You can stay here today."

There was no way she would get better back at the detective agency- he didn't doubt that Kogoro worried about his daughter, but that man had _no idea_ how to take care of a sick person. Especially not a sick, stubborn Ran. He might not be a genius himself at taking care of sick people, but he was pretty sure he was better at it than Kogoro was. Experience alone had taught him that much.

"But we have school." Ran protested. "Besides, it's not like it's bad. It's just a bit of a fever."

"You said that _last_ time, right up until you passed out." Shinichi pointed out, locking eyes with her. Honestly, usually Ran's work ethic was one of her good traits- but it also made her often push herself beyond her own limits, and not pay full attention to the needs of her own body. Such as whenever she got sick- she would often push herself instead of resting, insisting that she was fine the entire time, and that it wasn't bad as it looked, even as she wavered on her feet. "Missing school for one day won't kill you, Ran. I'll let them know we'll be missing it."

"We?" Ran blinked. "Wait a second, Shinichi, I don't need you to look after me! Besides, I can go rest at my own place."

"No arguments. Now come inside." Stepping aside so that Ran could enter the Kudo manor, Shinichi was quick to shut the door behind her, least she change her mind. "First things first, let's get you back into bed. I'll loan you some of mom's pajamas."

"Geez, you're so stubborn." Ran couldn't help but huff, even as she stumbled a little on her feet. Her breath was coming out in hot puffs, but she was certain that she was more than capable of getting through today without any problems. The last thing she wanted to do was cause anyone any trouble. "I'm really fine."

"You're really _not_." Shinichi insisted, all but escorting Ran up the stairs to one of the spare bedrooms. "You're the one being stubborn here, Ran. I'll even call Sonoko and tell her to bring us over all of our missed work, so just give up already."

"...fine." After a moment of hesitation, Ran finally gave in. There was no arguing with him when he got like this. Taking a seat on the bed, she watched as Shinichi left the room, returning post haste with a pair of his mother's pajamas to loan her, dropping them in her lap.

"There you go. I'll step out for a second to make those calls, so get changed and tuck yourself into bed for now, Ran." Shinichi told her, not giving her any time to protest before he ducked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Huffing a little too herself, still under the belief that she would be just fine, Ran nevertheless realized that she wasn't going to win this fight. Carefully changing out of her uniform and into the pajamas, she slowly slid herself into the bed- and couldn't help but think how soft the pillow was the moment her head touched it. Perhaps she was just a bit tired after all.

When Shinichi returned minutes later, all calls made, he had found Ran fast asleep. Her father had been rather insistent that he do his best to give her the utmost care, and had nearly threatened to come over there to pick up Ran himself, not wanting to trust her to some brat. He'd managed to convince him not to by telling him that she had already fallen asleep- which apparently, was now true. More than likely, she had slipped out of the apartment that morning without giving her father a chance to really take a good look at her.

"See, you really _were_ sick, Ran." His voice came out as a whisper, as he carefully tucked the covers over her slumbering form, a fond look surfacing in his eyes. He knew that he put her through enough trouble as it was already, so the very least he could do for her was look after her when she got sick.

"Now, where did I put that cold medicine?"


	11. Friend of a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kudo Shinichi was a dead, dead man.
> 
> Characters: Kudo Shinichi, Toyama Kazuha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS A VERY SILLY, SILLY ONESHOT. My silliest yet perhaps. When you get an idea this silly that pops in your head and you don't go ahead and write it, I am pretty certain you are committing some kind of crime. So therefore, I wrote it. Please let Shinichi live, Kazuha (she won't).
> 
> Oh, and also, while I'm on the subject of oneshots, if you all remember the blackorg!Heiji oneshot from chapter four of this oneshot collection, I've actually turned it into it's own, proper story now. Go ahead and check out Black Echo if you were interested in that! I've got some really great stuff planned for that, so I hope everyone takes some time to check it out and let me know what they think of the first chapter (which is the original, but revised oneshot + a new scene at the end).

Kudo Shinichi was a dead man.

It wasn't because of the Black Organization- that matter had finally- _finally!_ \- been put behind him. For once in his life, it wasn't their shadow that was looming over his back, causing him to glance nervously over his shoulder.

It wasn't because Ran was angry at him, even though she had been upset- justifiably so, he thought, when he'd revealed the truth to her not that long ago. With the antidote finally completed, and it finally being safe for him to return to being himself, he'd done so without an ounce of hesitation. After all this time, he knew that he needed to tell her the truth. Their relationship couldn't ever go forward if he kept lying to her.

But she'd understood his reasons in the end, and she'd forgiven him. It was not his own childhood friend hunting him through the streets of Tokyo that fine morning, but rather, someone else's.

He'd never seen Toyama Kazuha this angry before, not even once. And he thought that _Heiji_ was the hot tempered one of the two. Clearly, he had been wrong.

He'd left the decision of telling other people about the matter up to Ran in the end. She'd decided against telling either of her parents- and had decided against telling Sonoko, for the moment. But she had, apparently, decided to tell Kazuha, feeling that she might worry about where Conan had gone off to all of a sudden, and why she wasn't able to send any letters to him.

Perhaps that had been a mistake. Because Shinichi was pretty sure that Kazuha was out for blood- _his_ blood, to be exact.

"Come out already, Kudo-kun!" He could hear her voice sharp and clear, cracking through the air like a whip, sending a bolt of panic through him. Oh god- he really should have taken the time to learn a martial art, he thought to himself, or at least take a few self defense courses. Because if Kazuha caught him, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to wipe the floor with him.

They had thought that Kazuha had been _joking_ when she said she was going to come to Tokyo in order to fight him, to make up for all the pain and suffering that he had put Ran through, to make up for all the lies that he had told her best friend- but apparently not. She meant what she said, right down to the letter. And not being very enamored of the idea of trying to fight someone who he'd seen throw people twice her body weight over her shoulder like they were nothing more than a rag, Shinichi had made a very quick decision.

He'd made a break for it.

Thank god he had fast, adult-sized legs now. He might not be stronger than Kazuha, but he was definitely faster and knew the terrain better. As long as he kept avoiding her for _the rest of his life_ , he'd never have to fight her.

Speaking of his _own_ so-called best friend, when he'd given Heiji a desperate phone call, begging him to come to Tokyo, to come collect his childhood friend, he'd been of no use at all. He was the one who grew up with her, he must know some magical way of calming her down, of making her less angry at him. But instead of that, what he got was- 

"Nah, there's nothin' ya can do about it, Kudo. Just let her kick yer ass, an' everythin' will be fine between the two of ya again."

Thank you _ever so much_ , Hattori Heiji, Shinichi thought dryly to himself. He was calling him because he _didn't want_ to get his ass kicked- as he'd put it. Where was their friendship when he needed him the most, in his most desperate hour?

"Oh, there ya are, Kudo-kun!" All but flinching as he realized he'd paused to catch his breath for long enough to allow Kazuha to catch up with him- didn't this girl ever get _tired?_ \- Shinichi gave her a nervous look, carefully taking a step back. "Now then," With a crack of her knuckles, and a broad grin on her fact that looked anything but friendly, Kazuha took a step closer to him.

"I've got some words ta have with ya."

Oh god. This was it. He was going to die.


	12. Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Heiji, there was no shortage of distractions in the world.
> 
> Character: Hattori Heiji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow I managed to write a oneshot that both dives into my autistic + ADD headcanons for Heiji and also managed to be really shippy at the same time? *long shrug* Anyways here is oneshot purely fueled by headcanons from your local autistic + ADD woman. There's very little doubt to me that Heiji is absolutely somewhere on the autism spectrum, so I guess you could say this one's a bit personal to me!

The world was filled with distractions.

That was the way it had always been for him, for as long as he had remembered. At first, it hadn't mattered that much. While his parents had both noticed that he seemed to be lagging behind Kazuha when it came to developing the ability to pick up on social cues of those of his own age, it hadn't been much of a problem at first. It wasn't until he entered kindergarten, really, that the matter had slowly started to become an issue.

It was probably around third grade when he learned his brain worked differently than everyone else's. He was a little too young to fully understand what that had meant at the time- but he hadn't missed the sharp tone that his mother's voice had carried to it the one time a teacher had gone a little too far, insisting that his lack of focus had everything to do with lack of discipline and poor upbringing. Heiji couldn't recall the words that his mother had directed towards the woman, only that they were filled with venom, even as her voice never so much as even raised an octave.

Different, yes, his mother had said- but fault? No. Never that.

The world was filled with distractions, and most of the time, it didn't bother him. It wasn't all bad, really. How else would he notice the way that Kazuha's ponytail seemed to dance when she laughed, or how she would hum along at the sound of one of her favorite songs playing in a commercial while busying herself in the kitchen? It took him the longest time, longer than most, to understand that reason why his gaze so often trailed towards her, even when he knew it shouldn't- even when he had other, more important things to focus on.

But the world was filled with distractions, and sadly, not all of them were Kazuha. The sound of chattering outside in the hall, as two teachers on break discussed their weekend plans, drawing him in, realizing too late that an hour had passed, and he'd only managed to write his name on his test. The sound of a crying baby being all that filled his head, causing him to write down mistaken directions, ending up with him being hopelessly lost, having to sheepishly call Kudo again to get his bearings once more. The insistent tapping of a foot gnawing at his temper, as the sound soon became the sole thing he could focus on.

The shrill voice of a woman on her cellphone outside, pulling Heiji's focus away from what he was being told, causing him to miss an all important clue in the suspect's words that would have saved the life of her second victim. Heiji had blamed himself for weeks afterwards, for a rare moment, hating his stupid, different, _faulty_ brain. Maybe he really had no place trying to be a detective at all, however much mysteries caught his interest in a way that nothing else quite did- not kendo, not baseball, not even motorcycles. Those three things were quite important to him, but none of them could even hold a candle to the compelling force that was a good mystery, be it a novel, or the real thing.

He had overheard Kazuha calling his cap a 'switch' once before. She wasn't wrong, really. It had been his mother who had came up with it as something of a coping mechanism, much as he wouldn't call it as much out loud. Over time, it became a habit, something that he did without thinking too much about it. For once, the world, filled with distractions as it was, narrowed down, leaving only what was right in front of him. There were times when it wasn't enough, but far many more where it was.

He'd never brought it up to Kudo before. It wasn't that he was embarrassed or ashamed, and it wasn't that he thought his friend would think any less of him for it- at least, that was what he thought on the surface. Deep down, he was anxious- anxious because he wasn't a genius like his rival was, anxious because Kudo Shinichi did not, in fact, understand what it meant to live in a world full of distractions.

And because it would have been _really nice_ if Kudo had said something when he noticed that what Heiji felt for his childhood friend was romantic love. Because Heiji? Heiji didn't notice it one bit himself, not until that moment on Ebisu Bridge, when the feelings had hit him with the force of a sledgehammer, finally breaking a hole through the dense wall that was his own feelings. He had always known he was oblivious towards the feelings of others, had long since come to understand this- but he hadn't been aware until then just how oblivious he could be in regards to his _own_ feelings.

He almost wanted to be mad at Kudo for recording his 'confession', furious, really. But Kudo didn't know, and Kudo didn't understand, so somehow or another, Heiji had bit back his temper, swallowing it down. Kudo was his _best friend_ , and he didn't want to break their friendship over something like this, not after everything that they had been through. He wasn't doing it on purpose.

And hell, he was pretty sure he was probably doing things that annoyed and ate away at the aforementioned shrunken detective, all without realizing it. Although he knew this on some fundamental level, he couldn't begin to puzzle out what these things might be on his own. Kudo wouldn't tell him, after all, instead internalizing whatever it was that bothered him, not giving Heiji cues that he could pick up on. If he did, he surely would have put forth his best effort to change said behavior- but without any obvious clues as to what he was doing wrong, there was no way he could even begin. 

Interacting with people was _not_ like solving a mystery, much as he'd tried that approach before. Sure, they gave out clues- but Heiji had no way of reading them, no way of interpreting what that particular look or that particular gesture meant. He'd carelessly trampled over people's feelings before just like that- Conan had given him an earful after the Tottori spider mansion case, telling him that he didn't need to tell the culprit those things, that he had gone too far. Heiji had blinked, a befuddled look crossing his face, not understanding what he was saying- he'd only told him the truth, after all. Why had he gotten so mad?

The world was filled with distractions, but some things were easier than others to focus on. He'd heard the term special interest mentioned once or twice before, and he supposed that was more or less right. He could give it his all when it came to kendo, focusing only on the match right in front of him- at least, when he stepped onto the dojo floor, he could. Baseball games earned his full attention, especially when he got the chance to watch them live. Both of those things had been superseded by the presence of a mystery, however, like a powerful, unstoppable force, that drew most of his focus towards it.

Just not enough.

Sometimes it was fine. Sometimes the distraction was Kazuha, even if what was pulling his focus away was the way that she was standing a little too close to that sleaze. Sometimes it was just the faint sound of her laughter that caught his ears, drawing his eyes towards her- until someone cleared their throat, pulling him back to focusing on what was important.

Sometimes it wasn't. Sometimes it was in front of his father, the man's stern gaze fixed on him when Heiji suddenly recalled where he was, remembering that the dog passing by the window below was not nearly as important as the double homicide that he'd stumbled upon. On some fundamental level, he knew his father didn't think any less of him, and knew that he had no small degree of pride in him. Even so, it was hard not to feel as if he was disappointed in him, as if he would never be able to measure up, much less surpass his father, entirely because of the way his own brain worked.

His stern-faced, stoic father, who barely displayed his emotions on his face, who gave Heiji zero cues to go off on, who left him desperately floundering and second guessing what that sentence might have meant, if that turn of phrase really meant what he thought it did. On occasion, he sent messages that even broke through Heiji's steel wall- like that punch, and those harsh words he'd given him back then. And just like his father had wanted, he'd gotten angry, gotten riled up- and had done exactly what he had expected him to. He might not understand his father, but it appeared that to him, Heiji was nothing short of an open book.

Maybe he was so emotional, always wearing his heart on his sleeve, because he simply didn't understand how to cover things like that up. If he was angry, it was time to get angry, regardless of the time and place. It had earned him a reputation as being hotblooded and quick tempered, but he didn't mind that much. There were people who had spoken in defense of him in spite of that, in spite of his admittedly often impulsive actions- and Kudo had been one of them.

It meant more to him than Kudo would probably ever know.

He doubted Hakuba Saguru would ever understand what it was like to live in a world full of distractions. They didn't have to be big- the way the light caught his watch, causing a bright shadow to dance on the ground beneath him was more than enough to occupy his thoughts sometimes. The ticking sound of a clock in an otherwise silent room, counting down seconds until the class ended drowned out the sound of the teacher's voice, their lesson going unlearned today. At least this was English class, a subject which he'd mastered in his own time.

"Hattori-kun."

Judging from the sound of his teacher's voice, this definitely wasn't the first time that he had called on him. Breaking out of his own distracted thoughts, Heiji glanced up towards the teacher, noticing that the entire class had their eyes on him now- and that Kazuha was giving him a sympathetic look. "Y-yes?"

"Glad to see you've rejoined us. Translate the next sentence please."

"...is there any chance ya could give me a hint which one ya mean?" Heiji asked, a sheepish grin crossing his face, even as his teacher sighed in exasperation, having grown used to this. When he translated the given sentence flawlessly, he couldn't help but keep the smug expression off of his face, even as his teacher shook his head, resuming his class as if nothing had ever happened.

Heiji's focus remained tight for the next four or so minutes of class- before he caught the sight of Kazuha contemplatively tapping her pen on the surface of her desk, mulling over something with a great focus of her own. And that was when his own was more or less thrown completely out the window once more.

The world was filled with distractions- and Kazuha, undoubtedly, was the most pleasant one.


	13. Autumn Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Sera shows up at Sonoko's house well before the crack of dawn, telling her that she has a surprise to show her, she never could have imagined what it would be.
> 
> Characters: Sera Masumi, Suzuki Sonoko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This oneshot is actually part of a four part series that I'm going to be playing with, involving the four seasons, and the theme of taking a nap. Anyways, please enjoy this oneshot, feat my femslash of choice for this fandom, Sonosera!

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about, Sera-chan?"

"I've told you already, Sonoko- it's a surprise!"

Sera's cheerful sounding voice was all that Sonoko could hear- other than the crunching sound of leaves beneath her feet. Not only had she woken her up long before the crack of dawn, rousing complaints from both of her parents about the early morning visitor, but she had also dragged her all the way out to here- wherever _here_ was she thought, considering she had completely no idea. She'd been blindfolded, after all, Sera's white teeth flashing in a bright grin the last thing she saw before the white cloth was wrapped around her eyes, blocking her vision.

"It had better be worth it, getting me up this early in the morning. The sun's not even up yet!" Sonoko couldn't help but huff, puffing out her cheeks. Nevertheless, she let Sera guide her along, the girl carefully having placed one hand around her shoulder, navigating her through what she was pretty certain was some kind of forest, given the sound of crunching leaves that seemed to happen with every step. Every so often she would tell her to softly watch her step, carefully guiding her over some unseen obstacle, making certain that she never lost her balance or tripped. To be honest, that, at the very least, was something she had no complaints about.

The brisk autumn air sent a slight shiver down her spine, and though she couldn't see it, she could feel hot air billowing out as she breathed. It was already starting to get a bit colder, especially before the sun came up to provide them with some much needed warmth. Sera had instructed her to dress warmly, and to wear sensible shoes- to which Sonoko had complied, or well... she had, for the most part.

Perhaps a miniskirt was not her best choice. She should have at least put on some stockings to go with it in hindsight, but she'd still been half asleep when she got dressed as it was. She hadn't thought of it at the time.

"Trust me, it'll be worth it." Sera promised her. "Oh, be careful here." Carefully taking Sonoko's hand with her free one, she helped her step over something- maybe a tree root, or a fallen log, she thought to herself. "It's just a little bit further now, Sonoko."

"Yes, yes." Sonoko heaved a long sigh. Truth be told, she didn't mind being this close to Sera- having her arm wrapped around her shoulder, the warmth of her body seeping into her, was rather nice, actually. Were it not so early in the morning, she would probably actually enjoy it. "But I don't see why you had to wake me up so early. I'm not really a morning person, you know."

"It has to be morning, or it's no good!" Sera insisted, and Sonoko could almost _hear_ the bright smile on her face. "Ah, we're here!"

_Finally_ , Sonoko thought to herself, as she was lead to a stop. When Sera pulled her hand away from her shoulder, she almost felt a bit lonely- until the girl reached up, carefully removing the blindfold that she'd tied around her eyes quite some time ago. They must have been driving on her motorcycle for at least two hours, by her estimation. Blinking her eyes a little, Sonoko had to take a moment to let them focus- but once they had, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

Illuminated by the rising sun, what must have been hundreds of trees spread out before them- red, yellow, orange, all of the colors of fall dancing before her in the dawning sunlight. As Sonoko took a step closer towards the viewing platform that Sera had brought her too, she glanced down, catching the sight of the sun's rays hitting the flowing river below them, the water dancing in the light. As the sun slowly rose higher and higher in the sky, the colors of fall became more bright, more vivid, carpeting the mountains that stretched out just beyond them.

For a brief moment, it was enough that she even forgot the early morning hours, forget the faint bite of cold that had seeped into her legs.

"It's beautiful!" Turning back towards Sera, almost half hating to take her eyes off of the sight, Sonoko's eyes sparkled. "Is this what you wanted to show me, Sera-chan?"

"That's right." Sera told her, a wide grin on her face. "My middle brother showed me this place recently, so I wanted to pass it on to someone special to me in turn." The line slipped from her as if it were nothing, but Sonoko knew that the red tint of her cheeks had very little to do with the chill of the early morning air. "So? Wasn't it worth the trip?"

"Yes!" Nodding her head, Sonoko turned her gaze back towards the scene before her, watching as the color of the sky slowly changed. As the warmth of the sun's rays reached her, they seemed to dash away the slight chill that had seeped itself into her body, as if washing away any worries that she might ever possibly have. "It's a wonderful place, Sera-chan."

"That's great to hear!" Carefully taking Sonoko's hand, she guided her towards the single bench that had been placed on the viewing platform. She was glad to see that nobody else was there this morning. For a moment, it was as if the world had shrunken down to just the two of them. "I brought some hot chocolate, if you want some."

She hadn't made it herself, mind- her mother had given her a long, drawn out look when Sera had told her about her plan. For a moment, she had thought she was going to argue against it, say that they couldn't afford to do something like that in their current situation. Instead, she had merely ducked into the small kitchenette of their shared hotel room, emerging several minutes later with a thermos of hot chocolate, insisting that she take it with her. Sera hadn't even been aware that they even _owned_ a thermos, nor the materials for making hot chocolate in the first place, or even that her mother could make it, but from the way that Sonoko's eyes lit up at the offer, it would appear that she had been right on the mark.

"I would love some!" Sonoko told her. "Thanks, Sera-chan!"

"Then, just give me one second." Sera said, carefully opening the lid of the thermos up, pouring some of the still piping hot beverage into it, and carefully handing it over towards Sonoko. She took it gratefully from her, drinking in the aroma of chocolate that rose from it, before she drunk from the cup herself. "Is it good?"

"Yes. It's delicious." Sonoko told her, a hint of a sly grin painting her own face now, her thoughts easy to read. "You try some too, Sera-chan."

"Going for an indirect kiss, are we?" Sera teased lightly, her own smile only growing at the faint red tint that lit Sonoko's cheeks up. "Well, I can't turn down an offer from a pretty girl, now can I?"

Carefully taking the cup from her, Sera quickly took a drink of the hot chocolate herself, feeling the warm beverage seep through her bones. Just as she opened her mouth, ready to pass it back towards Sonoko, she felt a light sense of pressure on her shoulder- and blinked, glancing down to notice that Sonoko had apparently dozed off, her head lightly resting on her shoulder.

Smiling to herself, Sera carefully rested the cup in her lap, watching the steady rise and fall of Sonoko's chest. Maybe early morning had been a little bit too much for her after all- but sunset wouldn't quite have the same effect, not at this time of year.

For the moment, she would let her sleep, head lightly resting on her shoulder. It was a comfortable place to be.


	14. By the Fireplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a howling blizzard outside, a warm fireplace is the natural place to gather.
> 
> Characters: Kuroba Kaito, Nakamori Aoko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next story in the aforementioned four seasons + napping series, involving Aoko and Kaito! Obviously the season of this one is winter. I hope everyone enjoys!

"Is there actually hot chocolate in there, or did you just fill up an entire mug with marshmallows?"

"Aoko can assure you, there's definitely hot chocolate in here." Puffing out her cheeks a little as she glanced up at her childhood friend, Aoko took a sip of said hot chocolate to prove it. "See?"

"Oh, you're right." With deft fingers and a cheeky grin, Kaito quickly reached out a hand, snatching one of the marshmallows that littered the surface of her mug, popping it in his mouth before Aoko could even protest. "Forgive me for ever doubting you, Aoko!"

"Geez, if you wanted some marshmallows, you could have just gotten some of your own. There's plenty in the kitchen." Aoko huffed, placing her mug out of Kaito's reach, sending him a challenging look, warning him about what would happen if he tried that again. Knowing better than to press his luck, Kaito simply slid around the sofa, plopping right down next to her.

With the fireplace merrily crackling in front of them, it was easy to forget the roaring blizzard outside. The storm was still howling, raging on- according to the weather reports, it was likely to continue to do so for the rest of the night. With any luck, however, the storm should clear up in time for his heist tomorrow night, giving them perfect weather, with a clear view of the moon.

Kaitou Kid hated to break his promises, but even he wasn't foolish enough to try and chance using his hang glider in the middle of a howling blizzard. He was in enough danger as it was from those shady guys, he didn't need to willingly risk his life by trying to pull off a heist in poor weather conditions on top of that. He was quite certain his fans would understand a reason for such a cancellation- and besides, if the moon wasn't out anyways, it wouldn't even do him very much good to begin with.

Still, it looked like it wasn't going to end up that way, for which he was glad.

"But yours come pre-soaked with chocolate, and I don't even have to do any work myself! A win-win situation." Kaito lightly joked, even as Aoko shot him a dirty look. It's fierceness was somewhat dampened by the fact that she was curled up in a thick blanket, her legs pulled up underneath it, not even her toes peeking out. "Are you cold, Aoko?"

"A bit." Aoko admitted. "Honestly. So much for a fun skiing trip."

"Well, not that you can really ski anyways." Kaito teased, shrugging his shoulders.

"Aoko's gotten better!" Aoko insisted, puffing out her cheeks once more- which quickly seemed to deflate. "A little bit at least."

"Right, right, I'm sure you have." Kaito said, nodding his head. Well, there was only one place Aoko's skills could go, and that was up. That wasn't really saying much, however. If she just asked him, he'd be happy to teach her, but she was too stubborn to do something like that- and he was too stubborn to offer. "Well the news said the blizzard should die down by tomorrow."

"That's good news." Aoko noted, taking a sip of her hot chocolate again, shooting Kaito a suspicious look as he scooted a bit closer to her. "If dad got hurt trying to chase Kid in such weather, I'd never forgive that sneak thief!"

"Well, I don't think even _Kid_ would try to do a heist in a blizzard. He's only human." Kaito noted, resisting the urge to steal another one of Aoko's marshmallows. She had so many, surely she could spare a few!

"Well, Aoko supposes that's true." Aoko admitted after a moment, setting down her cup of hot chocolate for the moment, tucking her hands back in underneath her blanket. Just listening to the howling winds outside the lodge gave her the chills, and she could only hope her dad was alright over at the location of the heist. He was trapped there for the moment, unable to leave, and she had decided that she was going to wait right here in the lobby until he got back safely.

Even if she _was_ getting a little bit sleepy.

"You know, they say it gets warmer when people combine their body heat!" Kaito lightly teased- a suggestion which was instantly met by a pillow to the face. As it dropped away from him, he narrowed his eyes, shooting her an accusatory look. "And here I was, trying to help."

"Aoko doubts that was your real intention." Aoko huffed, picking up the pillow and putting it back where she had found it, before she darted her hands back underneath her blanket. " _Honestly_ , Kaito."

"I'm sure your dad's fine." Kaito said after a moment, all but sensing her worries. "As long as he stays put where he is, no harm will come to him."

"Aoko knows that." Her voice barely breaking above a whisper, she turned her gaze towards the crackling fire. "But Aoko can't help but be worried anyways."

As Kaito's gaze briefly darted over towards Aoko, huddled in her blankets, he couldn't help but frown a little. His own gaze trailing back towards the fire, he racked his brain for something to say, wondering what would be the best. Perhaps... perhaps if he told her everything was going to be alright, because he would stay by her side until her father got back? She wouldn't have to be lonely then.

Just as he opened his mouth to do so, he felt a soft sensation on his shoulder and blinked, glancing down. The fond smile crossed his face at the same time as his cheeks began to turn slightly red, realizing that she'd drifted off to sleep, resting her head on his shoulder. With careful hands, so as to not disturb her, he quickly placed a pillow in his lap, and carefully shifted her so that her head was resting on it.

"Sleep tight, Aoko." Kaito whispered, carefully making sure her blanket covered her up properly. "I'm sure your father will come back safe and sound."


	15. Windchimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were few things she loved more than the sound of windchimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next part in my four seasons + napping series, and we're skipping straight to summer with my OTP, Heikazu! The last and final entry in the series will of course be spring and Shinran. I really love how this one turned out though. I have many feelings about these two Osakan babies. Such good children.

There were few things that she loved in the world more than the sound of windchimes.

There was something relaxing, almost lulling, about the way they faintly chimed as a breeze brushed past them, playing out a pleasant melody. On a warm summer day, they almost seemed to bring with them a feeling of coolness, a sweet relief from the often too oppressive heat. She loved their melody, the sound of it like a pleasant buzz in the background.

And sometimes, when she went looking, she found one of the other things that she loved most in the world just underneath them. During blazing hot summer days, when she found herself at the Hattori household, trying to escape the heat, she would make her way to the section of the porch that she knew Shizuka hung their windchime from every summer. As the cicadas sung loudly outside, chirping out their own song, she followed the sound of a faintly tinkling windchime, leading her to what she hoped most to find.

The sight filled her with warmth, the pleasant kind, as opposed to the kind that made her swelter, that made summer at its height so uncomfortable. It was a soft, gentle feeling, that made her feel as if all was right with the world after all. The sky was blue, the birds were singing- and Hattori Heiji had fallen asleep on the porch, having drifted off there, while listening to the sound of the windchimes.

Just as she thought, that was where she found him. Lying on his back, feet dangling over the ledge of the porch, was none other than her very own childhood friend, head turned so that one a few strands of his hair dangled just so that they danced with every breath that he took. Right next to his slumbering form was a plate of watermelon rinds, traces of an afternoon snack that he'd probably come here to eat in the first place. The sound of windchimes danced in the air around them, covering up the faint sound of Heiji's breathing, a strangely soft, peaceful sound for someone as lively as he could be.

With a fond smile on her face, Kazuha carefully crept over towards him, kneeling down just beside his head. He didn't stir as she did, fast asleep, lost to the world of the waking for the time being. Reaching out a hand, she carefully moved the strands of hair away from his face, her touch barely tracing skin as she did so, not enough to cause him to so much as stir.

In contrast to everything else about him, his sleeping face was so serene, so peaceful. It wasn't something that she got to see often, not these days, so she cherished the chances when she did. The long eyelashes he'd inherited from his mother faintly brushed his skin, eyelids closed, hopefully sweet dreams dancing just beyond them.

"Really, yer just so cute like this, Heiji." Kazuha whispered, smiling a little. If he were awake, she would never dare to say such a thing, but he was asleep, and thus it slipped out of her. Carefully picking up the plate of watermelon rinds, she brought it inside, placing it down on the table. Quietly picking up a pair of pillows from the room, she crept her way back towards the porch, sliding one underneath Heiji's head without waking him. Placing one on the porch next to him, she lay down on it, turning on her side to look at him.

There was no need to wake him up, nor was there any need for her to stay awake. With all of the cases Heiji managed to run into, dragging her with him, sometimes their lives could be a little _too_ hectic. Even when he didn't go out looking for trouble, it somehow always managed to find him nevertheless, especially recently. She'd joked about it before, but sometimes she found herself wondering if he wasn't actually really cursed.

But right now, such things didn't matter. All that mattered to Kazuha now was the faint sound of Heiji's soft breathing next to her, and the lilting sound of the windchimes softly dancing in the air. Letting the sound of them lull her into sleep as well, Kazuha slowly closed her eyes, drifting off into dreamland.

Everything was right in the world. The birds were soaring in the blue sky, the cicadas were singing, hidden from the view of human eyes, and on the porch of the Hattori household, a pair of childhood friends quietly slept, letting themselves be carried away by the faint sound of a windchime.


	16. Masks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all have masks we wear- some more literally than others. (AU)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, one and all, from the land of my vacation! Anyways, have this long AU oneshot that I've been working off and on on for the past three days or so! The concept's pretty interesting to me so it's highly likely that I'll do something else with it in the future because man what a fun idea this was to work with. Anyways, until next time!

The first floor of the old school building, the furthest room to the back, on the left. That was where she was told that she could find the person who might be able to help her with her current problem.

Toyama Kazuha had always been one to believe in the supernatural, but thankfully thus far, her encounters with it had been non-existent. Quite frankly, she had been hoping to _keep_ it that way, but at some point her luck had seemingly run out. If she had known picking up a simple hand mirror would have resulted in her being chased by some kind of mirror youkai, then she would have never done so in the first place. She had managed to avoid it thus far, but it wasn't as if she could spend the rest of her life avoiding mirrors.

She needed help, and her classmates had been rather insistent that there was one person who she could turn to for sure- though not without some apprehension. She'd heard the rumors of course, and had even seen him in person from time to time- he was, after all, incredibly hard to miss But she had never actually had the chance to speak with the young man by the name of Hattori Heiji before- even if the name seemed to almost ring a bell, for reasons she didn't fully understand. Supposedly, he was the same age as her, but was a year under her. It was said that he had been held back a year in middle, due to health reasons, apparently. The rumors, however, suggested otherwise.

The rumors were that he had been attacked by a yukionna, and had barely lived to tell the tale. The rumors also mentioned that it was when he woke up from his long coma, that he started to wear what it was that had given birth to the rumors in the first place- that distinct, unmistakable, fox mask. Since she only ever caught sight of him briefly before, she didn't actually know if the other rumors surrounding it were actually true or not.

Namely that for whatever reason, he never took it off. There were whispers that he _couldn't,_ but nobody was quite certain about this. Those who shared classes with him would testify that they had never seen him without it, even while changing for gym class. They couldn't comment if he took it off to eat, since he always left during the lunch hour. It was thought that he ate his lunch here, in the room in the old school building that he'd staked for his own. Nobody really much disputed the claim- not his teachers nor the school administration, generally just leaving him be.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fame of his father- Hattori Heizo was a name she knew well, understandable, seeing that he was the head of Osaka's police force. Her father worked directly under him, in fact, so there was no way she _wouldn't_ know who he was. Perhaps it was because of him that the school administration turned a blind eye to his eccentric son, or perhaps it was for a far more simple reason- fear. Not of the father, but of the son.

Because as much as one would think that spending one's entire life with a ceramic fox mask worn over one's face, one without even so much as the smallest of holes for his eyes to see through, would cause someone more than it's far share of complications, for Hattori Heiji, it didn't seem to. How he managed to avoid such complications was answered by the second rumor, one that was confirmed by anyone who happened to have the chance to see it- with either a disdainful look or a shudder, if not both. That was, of course, that the mask _moved_. It was as if it had a life of it's very own, they said.

If it weren't for the fact that she were in dire need of help, Kazuha might have spent the rest of her high school career avoiding him. Believe in the supernatural though she might, she was also quite frightened of it. The whispers that Hattori Heiji was something other than human were almost enough for her to turn back- but not only did she want to be free of this mirror youkai, she also didn't want to bother anyone else with it. And that was what brought her to the room in the old school building, one that other students sometimes offhandedly referred to as the 'Special Requests Club'.

Taking in and letting out a deep breath, Kazuha knocked on the sliding door.

"It's unlocked!"

Nearly starting at the sound of the voice coming from within the room, Kazuha quickly caught her breath. It sounded surprisingly normal- given the rumors, she had expected his voice to sound muffled, but it had come across clear as day. It was enough to make her nearly hesitate, before Kazuha quickly resolved herself, sliding open the door.

"Pardon the intrusion!" Stepping inside, Kazuha quickly gave the room's occupant a bow, before she even so much as took a look at him. "I'm Toyama Kazuha! I came here because I need your help, Hattori-san."

"Well I mean, that's the only reason anyone ever comes here." The young man's voice spoke up, a slight hint of amusement to his words. "An' just Heiji's fine. Yer a second year, aren't ya? I've seen ya around before. The aikido club's captain, right?"

"That's right, I am." Slowly nodding her head, somewhat surprised that he knew anything about her at all, Kazuha straightened up, finally taking her first good look at the young man of the rumors. For all the world, he looked like any other student at the school, though his skin was several shades darker than most- and he probably _would_ be any other student, were it not for the mask that the young man lounging on the beaten up old couch wore.

A white, ceramic fox mask, just as had been described, kept in place around his head with a red string. Completely black eyes stared back at her, two lines of red underneath each of them standing out, and two rounded circles of red just above said eyes, almost made to resemble eyebrows, she thought for a moment. A red line ran down the center of the forehead area of the mask, and just beyond that, fox ears rose up, sculpted in white ceramic. The mouth of the mask almost seemed to be painted in what she thought was a permanent grin- that was, until it _moved_.

Ah. So it was true.

"So? What do ya need?" Heiji asked, tilting his head to the side. As he spoke, the lips of the mask split apart, moving in sync with his question, for all the world as anyone's mouth would when they spoke. As a startled look crossed her face, a look of understanding crossed his face- even though she couldn't see it, such an expression was echoed in the features of the mask, the black eyes narrowing slightly, the red brows furrowing. Letting out an amused sounding snort, the masked young man couldn't help but laugh, though there was an almost bitter sound to it. "Well, don't worry about it. Everyone pretty much reacts in the same way at first."

"I mean, I heard the rumors, but I didn't actually think that..." Kazuha trailed off a little, half wondering why her first instinct was a desire to _touch_ it. She couldn't help but wonder in the back of her mind, if it was warm, as opposed to the cold that logic dictated it should be. "Ah, sorry! I'm actually bein' really rude, aren't I? Especially seein' as I'm comin' here ta ask ya fer help."

"Nah, not really." An amused smirk crossed the mask, as Heiji placed his chin in his hand, one of his fingers drumming idly on it. "Sometimes people scream. _That's_ rude. Anyways, don't just stand there, come in." Swinging booted feet off of the couch, he rose to his them, eyes- those of the mask's- darting around the room, narrowing a little as he seemed to realize that it was in a bit of a state of disarray, and that there really wasn't any place to sit. "Just... just give me a second."

"Is it usually this messy in here? It almost looks like a storm passed through." Kazuha couldn't help but observe, taking a step inside, slowly sliding the door shut behind her. Certainly, he was an odd person, and the mask had surprised her more than just a little- but after actually speaking with him, he didn't actually seem that scary. _Odd_ , certainly, but hardly scary.

Vaguely familiar, actually, for reasons that she couldn't place.

"Ah, that's one way of puttin' it." Glancing back at her with what she assumed was a sheepish grin, Heiji hurriedly cleared off one of the chairs, taking a look at the stuff that had piled up on it- before just deciding to chuck it to the side, rather than worry about where to put it. "Half of this stuff's actually just been here since before I started usin' the room. I've just never got around ta sortin' through it. Sit down an' tell me what's goin' on. It's not more youkai business, is it?"

Sensing the hopeful note on his voice, gathering that he would rather it be _anything_ else, Kazuha almost felt bad that what she brought with her was exactly that. Still, she took the seat that had been offered to her, watching as Heiji plopped right back down on the couch, planting his feet on the cracked coffee table that looked like it had seen it's fair share of use in life.

She supposed that look in his eyes- the _mask's_ eyes really, was that of expectation. It was hard to really tell, given that they were pure black, but given the ease he'd made his way around the room, she couldn't help but wonder if he could actually see out of them. For half a moment, she found herself speculating as to whether or not the mask actually _was_ his face, but decided to put such thoughts aside.

"It actually is." Kazuha admitted, watching as a crestfallen look seemed to briefly cross his mask, before he clicked his tongue- letting out a long sigh. "I'm sorry. But it's really, really important, an' I was told ya might be able ta help me, Hattori-san, so..."

"Well, that depends on what kind of help ya need, Kazuha." Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji heaved another long sigh. Briefly, she couldn't help but wonder at the overly familiar way he had addressed her- and why she didn't really protest too much to it. If anything, he should be calling her _senpai_ \- and yet she almost felt as if this was natural. "An' like I said, just Heiji's fine."

"Then, Heiji." Kazuha said with a slight frown, wondering why dropping the honorific entirely had felt so right. He certainly didn't protest, but rather, the expression his mask turned on was one of near delight. "Actually, the other day I picked up a strange hand mirror, thinkin' ta turn it into a police box as a lost item, but ever since then..."

"Ya've been stalked by some kind of mirror youkai?" Heiji threw out, and when she nodded her head, another long sigh escaped from him. She wasn't sure what took her by surprise more- the confirmation that he had actually seen her simple gesture, or the fact that the eyes of his mask closed. "Those are always a pesky bunch. I don't suppose ya still have the hand mirror in question with ya?"

As one eye of the mask peeked open, Kazuha slowly shook her head. "Sorry. I was so startled when it came out that I kind of threw it as far away from me as I possibly could." She admitted with a slightly nervous laugh. "Was that bad?"

"It'd probably make things a bit easier if we had it, but it probably would have cursed ya all the same anyways." Heiji told her, both eyes opening again as he shook his head. "S'far as I know, they treat the whole thing as some kind of game. Though I don't know who told ya I was some kind of youkai expert or anythin', because honestly, that's not _really_ my field of expertise. I mean, I deal with 'em sometimes, but..." Scratching the back of his head, Heiji gave her what she suspected was probably a considering look.

"Well, if I give the bastard a good punch, it'll probably run away with it's tail between it's legs. Those things are pesky, but if ya show 'em ya can fight back against 'em, they'll usually move on ta someone easier." Heiji told her, giving her a quick grin. "I'm no exorcist, but I can at least do that much. Ya came all this way ta see me after all, it's not like I can turn ya away empty handed."

"Well..." Trailing off a little, uncertain how she felt about the idea of the youkai being allowed to run off to haunt someone else, Kazuha considered this for a moment. "I suppose that's fine. I'd rather not have ta spend the rest of my life runnin' from mirrors."

"Yeah, that sounds like it'd be a pain in the ass." Heiji couldn't help but joke, his grin only growing all the wider. He looked quite pleased that she had accepted his offer, in so far as she could tell. It was actually quite impressive that she could so easily pick out expressions from the less than human features of his mask at all. Springing back to his feet again, apparently eager to get started now that the idea had been planted in his head, he glanced down at her, offering her his hand.

"Let's go, Kazuha. If there's somethin' bad creepin' around ya, I'll chase it away."

Blinking a little at his extended hand, Kazuha peered up at him. Vaguely, she couldn't help but wonder why it was that people seemed to regard him as creepy in the first place- certainly, he was strange, and she was filled with a million questions that she would like to ask of him, but while it was a fox mask that was playing out all of his expressions for him, that bright smile it wore was hardly the stuff of nightmares.

It was rather warm, actually, like the sun.

Briefly, she wondered how many people treated him like a normal person, and not some kind of eccentric troublemaker or a potentially supernatural enigma. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought back on her own apprehension towards meeting Heiji in the first place- but decided that she was grateful that she had gathered the resolve to step through that door. Carefully taking his hand in her own, she noted that it was rather warm as she pulled herself to her feet.

"Thank ya." Kazuha told him. "Really, this helps me a lot. But where exactly are we goin' in the first place, Heiji?" And then, with a slight pause, she asked another question that had been floating around in her mind- one that she didn't think was rude. "An' what were ya hopin' I was comin' ta ask ya about in the first place?"

"If we're dealin' with a mirror youkai, then we need a place with lots of mirrors. Luckily there's still an old bathroom here that'll do just the trick." Heiji told her, his hand lingering briefly for a moment, before he slowly pulled it away, almost as if he didn't want to let go. Her next question seemed to catch him off guard a little- honestly, he wasn't used to people trying to make casual conversation with him. Outside of his own parents and Otaki, pretty much everyone tried to hurry through their conversations with him, trying to get him away from them as quickly as they could.

Those who didn't were usually some kind of occult fanatic, who were more interested in him as an oddity than anything else. He wasn't sure which pissed him off more.

"Actually, I kind of want ta be a detective, so I was hopin' it'd be some kind of case. I've got somethin' of a reputation, ya know." Heiji admitted after a moment, sheepishly scratching his 'cheek' with one finger. Granted, most of it was _bad_ \- not that his skills as a detective were lacking, those he had great confidence in. "Well, there's not many people that are willin' ta hire ya when ya know..." Trailing off there a little, realizing the corner he'd verbally backed himself into, Heiji rubbed the back of his neck, turning his gaze away from her, choosing not to finish the sentence. "Well, sometimes I still get requests fer stuff like that anyways."

"Can ya really not take it off?" The question slipped out before she even knew it, too late to stop it. Slapping her hands over her mouth, her eyes went wide, racking her brain for the right kind of apology for such an invasive question. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that!"

"Don't worry about it. S'fine, Kazuha." Heiji told her with a simple shrug of his shoulders, taking a few steps forward, so that she could only see the back of his head. "I can't take it off any more than you can take off yer own face. I _do_ have one though, fer the record." He added, almost as an afterthought. "A _real_ face, that is. Though I forget what it looks like sometimes."

He punctuated his words with a slightly awkward laugh, opening the door back up. Turning his head to glance back at her, Heiji's smile seemed a little bit strained. "Ya comin' Kazuha? I'm sure ya don't want ta deal with that thing fer much longer, right?"

"Ah, yes." Slowly nodding her head, Kazuha only allowed her expression to shift to one of sympathy once he had turned back around again, hurriedly moving to fall into step behind him. Whatever the reasons were behind it, it didn't seem as if he had started wearing it in the first place due to his own choice. If the rumors _were_ true, and he really had been wearing the mask since his second year of middle school- mentally doing the math, Kazuha grimaced a little as she realized it had been about five years since then.

Had it been that long since Heiji had seen his actual face reflected back in a mirror?

Carefully studying his side profile, she realized that there was no actual gap between his mask and what very little she _could_ make out of his face. The white of the ceramic almost seemed to mix seamlessly with his dark skin, as if it were as much a part of him as anything else. He had told her that he didn't really know that much about youkai, but he hadn't batted an eye at her story- what exactly had happened to make him this way?

She was overcome with the desire to _know_ \- to know the answers to these questions, yes, but to also know more about him. There was a curiosity within her about what his actual, real face looked like, true, but even more than that, she was curious to know just what kind of person he was.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________

He'd acquired the room in the back of the old school building out of a whim, really, to have a place that was a bit private on school grounds. He never would have expected that people would have started to use it to seek him out for his assistance- and least of all, he never imagined that Toyama Kazuha, out of all people, would be one of them. And yet, here she was, earnestly seeking out his help- and while it was with matters pertaining to youkai (seriously, when Heiji found who it was that was spreading those rumors, he'd have some words with them), he was nevertheless ecstatic and more than willing to do whatever it was that he could to help her.

She didn't remember him at all, but he already expected as much.

It was painful pretending that he had no idea who she was, other than having casually heard of her before, but there was no way she'd believe the truth anyways. She had long since forgotten the bond they had shared- and by her own choice, at that. Who was he to tell her otherwise at this point? This was the first time they had spoken in five years- the last thing he remembered of her was her shouting over his body, pleading with him to stay with them for just a little longer, that help was coming.

If she hadn't found him when she had, then he may very well have died. As it was, he lingered in between life and death for six months, lying in a coma all the while. By the time he finally woke up, everything had already been done, and there was nothing that he could do about it. Decisions regarding his future had been made without his consent, and although at the time, he'd chafed at it, furious with his parents for doing something like this to him, he now understood that they had no other option.

It was either this, or risk losing their son completely.

If he hadn't _literally_ started to disappear, Heiji guessed his father would have never bought into what the old woman, who claimed to be a spiritual healer, had to say. That half of his soul was missing, torn out of him, lost somewhere out there in the world? That if the missing part of his soul wasn't restored to him or something was done to fill the void it had left behind, he would wind up not only completely disappearing, but vanishing from everyone's memories as well? Ridiculous. It would have been ridiculous, surely, were it again, not for the fact that he was _literally starting to disappear_ , fingertips first. There was no rational explanation for that.

She had heard the rumors and had sought him out, horrified by what she had found when she arrived. Never before had she seen someone with such a large piece of their soul missing- and for such a long period of time at that. If they didn't do something quickly, then not only would he never wake up, he would simply be gradually erased from existence entirely. She knew of a method, though she was almost loathe to suggest it, knowing what would be needed for it, and the heavy consequences that both what was needed would carry, and what had to be done would bring.

When Heiji woke up, six months after his near death encounter, he knew at once that something was wrong. His parents- the both of them, even his father, were gazing down at him with worried eyes, concern and hesitation in their voices as they spoke to him, calling out his name, asking him if he remembered anything. When he had jolted bolt upright, memories of his encounter with that _thing_ \- that yukionna, that monstrous woman of the snow that he denied having existed in the first place but was now long since willing to admit to the existence of, they had both been more than a little startled.

Right away too, Heiji noticed that there was something else that was strange- his field of vision was odd, as if it had both widened and narrowed somehow, the world around him seemingly desaturated, duller than he remembered it. But beyond that was the fact that his face felt strange to him- alien, almost, for reasons that he couldn't place. Just as he couldn't place the worried glances that his parents shared between them every time he spoke, every time he so much as blinked, as if silently communicating when they should tell him, and just _what_ they should tell him.

The worst part of it all wasn't even the mask. That was the _weird_ part, really. It wasn't even the fact that the decision had been made without his input- he was unconscious, after all, how on earth could he give it in the first place? No, the _worst_ part was when he learned what needed to be done to create this- this mask, this bonding object that fixed him to the human world, that took the place of the part of his soul that he was now missing. Something that he needed to carry with him always, or risk the consequences. A great power was needed to create such a thing, and nothing would do other than someone who was willing to trade fourteen years worth of memories of him, for all the years he'd been alive, in exchange for the formation of such a thing.

Kazuha had insisted that it be her- that she needed to do something for him, even if it meant forgetting the bond that they shared in the first place. That she couldn't let one of his parents erase their memories of their own child. Even if that meant her own memories would never return to her, for so long as she lived.

Hattori Heiji woke to a world where he no longer had a childhood friend, and to a world where his own face- his real face, was lost to him, a fox mask fixed in it's place. He couldn't remove it, though he'd certainly tried those first few days, tugging at it in spite of the pain that it sent through him, thinking that maybe if he just pulled a _little harder_ \- but such a thing never worked. It was well and truly fixed there, and there was no longer anything he could do about it. The choice had already been made for him.

No wonder the world had suddenly looked so strange through his eyes when he first woke up- he wasn't viewing it through those of his own. The mask's eyes, large and pitch black, were what he saw through now. They moved and shifted according to his command, opening and closing, narrowing and widening just as his own would, as natural as it was for him to breathe- something which he also no longer did through his own nose or his own mouth for that matter. He had been told to treat the mask as if it were his own face- because that was what it had become. As easy as it was for him to use, the mask face felt strange and alien to him at first, startling him every time he caught a glimpse of it reflected in something.

Well of course it would be. He'd spent fourteen years of his life with a perfectly normal, perfectly _human_ face, and now suddenly found himself with something _far_ from it. It was only a cold comfort when he was told that his real face still technically existed, though the mask had all but become one with it now. On the off chance that he should ever find that missing piece of his soul, the mask would return to being a simple mask, and his real, human face would return, he'd been reassured of that much, at least.

He hated it. He _hated_ his stupid, inhuman face, _hated_ that he had to admit that's what it was, and he _hated_ the fact that this really was the only option. All in all, he'd rather not simply disappear without a fight, but nothing would ever be the same like this- and that much had proven true the moment he'd tried to pick up the life that he'd left behind before he'd lapsed into a coma, not wanting to be defeated by something like this. His parents had agreed, after a fashion, deciding to do what they could to support him. He was half amazed that his father just didn't want to keep him confined to the Hattori household for the rest of his life, so that he wouldn't bring embarrassment to the family- and when he'd let that much slip, it hadn't been his father that had struck him, but his mother, furious that he could think so little of how much his father cared for him, to think he would do something like that.

It was also, incidentally, how Heiji discovered that he could still _very much_ feel pain through the mask- though his mother had shaken out her hand afterwards. The ceramic mask might have been warm to the touch, just as any other part of his body, but it was still hard.

Above all else, he hated the fact that Kazuha was no longer a constant in his life. She had ended up moving out to the countryside with her mother, to live with her grandparents. It was to make things easier on her, they had said. When she had moved back for her second year of high school, Heiji had been thrilled- until he caught sight of his own face, and immediately decided against trying to rekindle his friendship with her.

Toyama Kazuha, the girl who quaked in her boots at even the most cliche of ghost stories, wanting to be friends with someone like him? If the damn _mask_ wasn't bad enough, then what it allowed him to see was- there was no way that Kazuha would want to be friends with someone who could see _ghosts_. Maybe if it weren't for that, the rumors about him wouldn't have gotten so out of control, but that was what his life was now- and there wasn't much he could do about it other than be stubborn. So what if most of the people who wanted to hire him for his skills as a detective were already dead? That didn't mean he couldn't barge into crime scenes anyways, which he did, quite often, much to the annoyance of his father.

Even _if_ the only officers that ever really took him seriously were Otaki and Kazuha's father, in spite of the fact that he'd proved himself numerous times. Even if he knew he could never manage to shake all of the negatives that surrounded his reputation, forever clouding it- because he'd been looking for that missing chunk of his soul to no avail, and was starting to come to terms with the fact that he might never find it. He'd live and die with this damn _thing_ on his face, this damn thing _as_ his face, and the faster he accepted that, the faster he could try and move on with his life.

A life that he expected wouldn't involve Kazuha- until she had shown back up in it without warning. He found himself being familiar to her without meaning to- but she didn't seem to mind. Perhaps even without her memories, there were still some lingering fragments of their bond- though not enough to bring anything back. He wasn't about to fool himself into thinking so. She hadn't screamed when he'd started talking, and the mouth of his mask had started moving, which was a good sign, really, but even so, he expected to never really see her again after he wrapped up the whole affair that had sent her to him in the first place.

Except that he did.

He'd only just come to the club room- it wasn't really a club, exactly, and he sure as hell wasn't the one who had started that 'Special Requests Club' nonsense, what even was that- to get some privacy around lunchtime. As strange and alien as it had been to him in the first few months, five years of having this damn mask face was more than enough for him to get used to it- seeing his reflection in the mirror no longer fazed him, abnormal though it was. But there was one thing, that although he himself had gotten used to, he never wanted to let other people see- and that was him eating. Most people wouldn't be comfortable with the sight of his mouth splitting apart at the jaw, which is what it did when he ate, so he generally kept to himself during times like these.

And there she was, a bright smile on her face, telling him that she thought he would be here around this time, and asking him if he wanted to eat lunch together. He'd blinked, half unable to comprehend the question for a few moments. His gut reaction had been to turn her down- Kazuha of all people was someone he didn't want to see react badly to him.

She hadn't though, instead making normal conversation with him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It was only then that it struck him that maybe he'd gone about this all the wrong way- just because she didn't remember their bond, didn't meant that it had disappeared. Maybe there was no need to keep Kazuha out of his life, not if she was the one seeking him out in the first place, even _with_ his face like this, even if he _was_ plagued by things that were decidedly _not_ human.

"Let me help ya, Heiji."

The offer had caught him off guard once again, and Heiji found himself blinking, tilting his head in confusion. "With what?" He asked, not understanding what she might mean. "There's nothin' I really need help with, Kazuha."

"With yer work." Kazuha told him frankly, a smile alighting her features. "Or whatever it is that ya call it. Consider me like another member of yer so-called club."

His expression of befuddlement must have gotten through to her, because she snorted a little, shaking her head. "Don't give me that kind of look, Heiji. Is there somethin' wrong with me wantin' ta help ya?"

"Nah, not really." Heiji admitted after a second, still giving her something of an odd look. Granted, he could recall full well just how much Kazuha always was the type to poke her nose into things if they looked interesting, especially if it was something that he was doing- apparently that wasn't a trait that had left her in the five years they hadn't spoken. It figured. She always _was_ the stubborn type.

Granted, one could say the same thing about himself.

"I'm just surprised, that's all. Ya seem kinda like the type ta hate this kind of thing." Heiji noted, absently tapping his mask as he spoke, knowing she'd catch his drift. "Given how ya nearly leapt out of yer shoes when that mirror youkai showed up yesterday. An' it ain't really a _club_ , people just started callin' it that."

"There's nothin' creepy about ya, idiot." Kazuha said frankly, folding her arms in front of her chest, looking at him point black. "Yer _weird_ maybe, but that's not the same thing as creepy. Besides, as yer senpai, ya could say it's my job ta look after ya. I can't on good conscience let a first year run around an' put himself in danger doin' god knows what sort of things ya get yerself involved in, Heiji."

"We're the _same age_ , idiot." Heiji pointed out, brows of his mask raising as he folded his own arms in front of his chest, locking eyes with her. She didn't flinch at the gaze, he couldn't help but note- nor did he miss the way they had fallen into a rather familiar bit of bickering. Maybe returning her memories was impossible, but that didn't mean that he couldn't just try and create new ones with her. "I just got held back a year, that's all! I don't need ta be babied by someone my own age!"

"It's too late to protest! I've already made up my mind." Kazuha insisted, nodding her head. It was true that she really didn't care for supernatural things all that much, but she had meant what she said- certainly Heiji's situation was weird, but once she started speaking to him, all things considered, he was remarkably _normal_. Most people probably didn't really even so much as give him a chance. She couldn't help but want to get to know him a little better, to understand what sort of person that he was.

And why she got the vaguest feeling that she should _already know_ the answer to that question- that was something she'd like to figure out as well. That strange sense of familiarity, the rather familiar way he had addressed her right from the start, as if he already knew her rather well. She supposed it wasn't impossible that they had already met before- it wasn't as if she knew what his actual face looked like. Perhaps she had met him before he'd taken on this sort of appearance, but as much as she racked her brain, she couldn't come up with any answers.

Simply heaving a long sigh, Heiji cast a studious look towards the ponytailed girl sitting across from him, an expectant look written on her face. He already knew exactly how stubborn Kazuha was, so he knew that nothing he could possibly say to her would discourage her- and frankly, he kind of didn't want to. After a long moment of silence, he rubbed the back of his head, letting out another exasperated sigh, the eyes of his mask closing. "Fine, fine. If that's what ya want, I don't think yer the sort of person I can _stop_."

His mother would probably be thrilled to learn that he was speaking with Kazuha again- but probably less so if she learned that he had no intention of telling the girl about their past bond. There was no point to it, really. If she would never regain those memories, then it would be better to build a new one with her, rather than try and force something on her she couldn't remember. Hell, doing that might actually manage to turn her away- and that was something that Heiji didn't want.

Because her absence, and the year of simply watching her from afar, their paths never really crossing, had been more than enough to drill one fact through Hattori Heiji's thick head- that he was in love with his childhood friend, Toyama Kazuha, and that he was still in love with her even now. They weren't feelings he had any intention of acting on- Kazuha deserved someone more normal than him, and she'd probably never seen him that way to begin with. He doubted that she'd start now, not when she didn't even know what he actually looked like.

But friendship was _fine_. It was _more_ than fine, really, given it wasn't something Heiji was ever expecting to get back.

"Good." Kazuha said, nodding her head, a bright smile crossing her face as she rose to her feet. "Now then. Why don't we start by actually cleanin' this place up a little?"

The blank expression that crossed Heiji's less than human features was remarkably easy to understand. "Ya know what, I take that back."


	17. Bonds, Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because a bond was forgotten, didn't mean it was broken. (AU)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Tinkering some more with the same AU as last chapter, but obviously set a considerably bit earlier than the previous oneshot, back in middle school! I'm definitely planning on turning this into a full story, but unlike Black Echo, I'll probably start from a different place than in the oneshots, so look forward to that! Anyways, hopefully I should be back to regularly updating my other multi-chapter Conan fics soon enough, (hopefully) starting with (Don't) Believe What You Know. I always get thrown out of sorts for awhile after I come back from vacation, ahahaa. I had a good time though, in case anyone is wondering.
> 
> Anyways, don't forget to review!

"Heiji?"

It was the soft voice of his mother that greeted him as he woke to face the world. Vaguely, even though he felt as if he was waking from the deepest slumber possible, he could make out the faint sound of worry in her voice. As his eyes slowly fluttered open, Heiji could gradually begin to make out her face, looking down at him with that same worry traced within her eyes, deep set within them, as if it had been there for months now.

"Heiji, honey?" Shizuka spoke up again, almost seeming to swallow down some kind of apprehension. "How are you feeling?"

Slowly blinking, the vague feeling that something was wrong refusing to leave him, Heiji opened and closed his mouth. His mother almost seemed to flinch as he did so, a subtle thing, schooled quickly into obedience. Turning his head slightly, he noticed that his mother wasn't alone- his father was also there as well, all but looming over the- the bed, he guessed, though he couldn't actually remember getting into one in the first place. Even his usually hard to read father seemed as clear as an open book, concern evident in his features.

"...Mom? Old man?" Heiji finally spoke up, his voice cracking as if it were the first time he'd used it in months. He watched as his parents' shoulders slumped, abject relief washing over the pair of them- an emotion that was still tempered by something, as if all their worries hadn't been washed away.

Something was wrong.

Heiji couldn't put his finger on it, couldn't determine what it was right away. But something was definitely wrong here. It wasn't just the concerned way his parents were hovering over him, silently exchanging gazes between the two of them, but it was something more than that, something else. His field of vision felt strangely warped- as if it had gotten wider than he remembered it being. Duller, too, as if some of the world's colors had been sucked out of it, leaving everything desaturated.

Even as his mouth moved and his eyes worked, Heiji couldn't shake the overwhelming sensation that there was something very wrong with his face. He had no real way of explaining it other than the fact that it felt strange to him, as if it were completely alien. With narrowed eyes, Heiji carefully reached up one hand-

-and was stopped by his mother, with her gentle yet strained smile, who took it in her own, holding it tight. "Heiji." Shizuka began, almost seeming to struggle to lock eyes with her son. "Do you remember anything?"

"Remember?" Heiji blinked, the question, for a moment, striking him as odd. What was it that he was supposed to remember? He knew who he was, and who they were, if that was what they were asking- but somehow, he didn't think that was it. No, rather, if anything, what they probably meant was...

As his eyes went wide and he jolted straight up in bed, the memories coming back to him in a rush, he couldn't help but notice the way this action had startled his parents. Reaching up a hand and placing it over his chest, a shiver ran down Heiji's spine, in spite of the warm air. Clutching his chest, vivid memories played themselves out in Heiji's mind, the sight of something bright red staining something pure white- a vision of long, black hair dancing amongst the snowflakes, as the red color blossomed against the gathered snow like out of season flowers.

Blood. It was blood. _His_ blood.

That was right. He'd been attacked.

By a _yukionna_.

In other circumstances, he would have tried to deny that such a thing could possibly exist- indeed, he'd done just that much right before he had been attacked. But he knew what he remembered, and he knew that it was real, even though it had a surreal, dreamlike quality to it. He'd been attacked by that _thing_ , that monstrous woman of the snow, and then... and then what?

Dimly, he thought he could recall Kazuha calling out his name, the warmth of her hand desperately trying to offset how cold his own had grown, pleading with him to stay with them for a little bit longer. There had been tears in her eyes, ones that trickled down onto his frozen cheeks, leaving behind a faint trail of warmth as they passed.

"Heiji." It was his father who had spoke this time, and Heiji found his gaze slowly trailing towards him, watching as the man's eyes narrowed ever so slightly underneath it. "You've been in a coma for six months. Don't move around so quickly."

"Six..." The word escaped from him before he even realized it, that strange feeling surfacing within him as his lips worked. " _Six months?!_ That long?"

"I'm afraid so, Heiji." Shizuka's voice was soft, as she carefully reached out, brushing a stray hair away from his face. Her fingers briefly brushed against his forehead, and he could feel her fingers flinch as she did so, her hand quickly darting away. "There's some important things we need to talk to you about, but only if you feel up to them. There's no need to rush."

"Important things?" Heiji asked, blinking slowly. Casting his gaze downwards, he found himself counting all of his limbs, finding everything in order. His fingers and toes all twitched at his command, and really, nothing felt all that out of place- except, of course, for his face, which quite frankly, didn't feel as if it belonged to him at all. "Did somethin' happen ta me?"

"It's a bit of a long story." Shizuka told him, a frown crossing her features as she once more reached out a hand towards his face, this time not hesitating as she cupped one of his cheeks within it. Her touch felt strange to him, even as she reached out her other hand, cupping his face carefully with both hands, an almost apologetic look crossing her face. "I just hope you can forgive us, Heiji. There was no other choice."

"Yer kinda scarin' me there, mom." Heiji said slowly, reaching up to pull her hands away from his face, giving her what he thought was one of his usual grins. The expression nearly caused her to turn away however, a look of guilt surfacing in her eyes, one that once again left him questioning what was wrong. "Is there somethin' wrong with my face?"

He'd meant it in jest- but judging from the reaction he'd gotten from his parents, the silent way they exchanged a glance, communicating with each other in that way that only they could, Heiji couldn't help but feel that his joking words were more accurate than he had thought. Glancing between the two of them, Heiji slowly reached up his hands again, moving them towards his own face. His mother moved to stop him once more, before she caught her husband's gaze, and instead withdrew.

When Heiji touched his own face, he realized at once why something felt so wrong about it. It was warm to the touch, yet strangely hard, the texture so much different than he remembered. It almost felt like... _ceramic_ , he supposed, except for it's warmth. Tracing his hands over his face, it didn't take him long to realize that everything about it was out of place. Nothing soft bristled underneath his fingertips as they trailed over where his eyebrows were, and the shape- the shape definitely was not right.

He couldn't even imagine what kind of expression he was making- nor even how he was making it. "W-what is this?" Heiji managed to stammer out after a moment, unable to help but let his hands trail down towards his mouth as he spoke, wondering why he couldn't feel the softness normally associated with lips as he did. "Wait a second, mom, what's wrong with my face?"

"We're sorry, Heiji." Shizuka repeated, not quite answering his question, but rather pulling him into a tight embrace, one that he made no effort to break free from. "We just didn't want you to disappear."  
_______________________________________________________________________________

Letting out a low grumble of pain, Heiji pulled his hands away from face, slowly feeling the sharp pain that yanking on it had sent through him die back down as soon as the pressure on it was removed. His cheeks throbbing, Heiji heaved a long sigh, leaning close enough to the bathroom mirror so that he could rest his forehead against it, a light _clink_ against the glass of the mirror as it struck the ceramic material of his mask.

" _God damnit._ " The words were almost hissed out, and he could hear the vague sound of the bathroom lights flickering around him as he allowed some of his anger to escape from him. Taking in a deep breath, he gripped the bathroom sink, trying to calm himself down a little. He'd already blown the power out in the house five times, and it had barely even been three days since he'd woken up from his coma- and he could tell that it was starting to wear on his parents' last nerve, guilt ridden as they were about this whole... _situation_.

For lack of a better word for it. Heaving a long sigh, Heiji pulled his head away from the mirror, briefly sparing a glance up towards what it was that he looked like now- and found another long sigh escaping from him as he did so, his head dropping back down. No wonder the world had seemed so strange to him when he'd opened his eyes- he wasn't even looking at them through his own anymore.

Forcing himself to stand back up straight, Heiji faced his reflection head on once more- before letting out another long, disgruntled sound at the sight of it. He'd been desperately trying to get the damn thing off of him for the past three days, to utterly no avail- no matter what he did, it wouldn't so much as budge. The way it moved in response to his subconscious commands, playing out his expressions, mouth moving in accordance with him as he spoke or ate, it almost seemed to be mocking him, silently reminding him that this was how things were going to be from now on, and that there was nothing that he could do about it.

_"You **are** still human, you know."_

That had been so easy for that old woman to say- the one who was responsible for this thing on his face. She wasn't the one who had to live like this from now on- from now until the day that he died, from the sound of it. He certainly didn't _feel_ like he was still human- humans had normal faces, not anything like this- like this damn fox mask that had fixed itself to his face, bonding itself to it, all but taking the place of his real one. The mask and his face had become one, the old woman had said, and that he should treat it as he would his own face.

And for goodness sake, she'd added, a slight tone of annoyance in her voice- _stop_ trying to yank it off already. You're only going to get yourself hurt, she'd said.

Well _excuse him_ for trying. His memories told him that he should logically still have his real face behind this mask- and even though he'd been told it wouldn't come off, and even though he'd come to understand that much through his own actions, he couldn't help but be stubborn about it. Who could blame him? He wasn't supposed to look like this- he was supposed to be- well, _normal_.

And he thought he'd stood out _before_.

Taking in and letting out a deep breath, Heiji finally met his own eyes in the mirror- large, pitch black eyes, nothing like the human blue ones that he remembered. Blinking several times, he let out another disgruntled noise as he forced himself to come to terms with the fact that this was reality- as bizarre, strange, and abnormal a reality it was. He really had no choice but to accept it.

"It's alright. I can get through this." Heiji whispered to himself, managing to make something of a grin in the mirror, watching as the mask worked effortlessly, creating an echo of an expression that he knew so well on his own human face, warped somewhat thanks to the mask's less than human features. "It's better than bein' erased from existence, I guess."

He'd been furious at first. Of course he had been. Everything had been decided without his consent, even though he was the one who had to live with the consequences. He'd lashed out, the mask face warping with his anger, the very room around them being to shake in response to the overwhelming emotion, the light bulb above them shattering into pieces. When he had finally calmed down, having exhausted out all of his fury, his room was a mess, as if a storm had blown through it.

He had half a foot in the world of the spirits, the old woman had told him, a large portion of his soul ripped right out of him, lost somewhere in distant lands. That was bound to have it's fair share of strange effects on him- like the poltergeist phenomena that losing his temper had produced. It was a miracle that he had clung to the world for as long as he had, and hadn't literally started to disappear until his sixth month in a coma- and that was probably the only reason that his parents believed what the old woman had to say, and the absurd tale that she carried on her lips.

She didn't give them the only solution that she could think of lightly. Of course, what would be ideal would be to find the missing piece of his soul and restore it to him, but such a thing wasn't easy. It was entirely possible that it had already been eaten by something, and no longer existed in this world, nor the next. Even if it hadn't been, trying to find it would be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack- a monumental task of near impossibility. In lieu of that, something needed to be created, an item that he would keep with him always, that would become as if it were a part of him, to fill the void that the part of his soul had left behind.

Otherwise not only would he never wake up, he would just completely _disappear_ , not even leaving so much of a trace of memory about him behind. And that, frankly, was a thought that outright terrified him more than anything else.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder if the cost had actually been worth it. The mask he could live with- it was strange, and still felt alien to him, but he supposed that he would manage to adjust to it eventually. He had his entire life to do so, unless he managed to find that missing chunk of his soul.

"Heiji?" Shizuka's voice caught his attention, and he turned away from his mirror, peeking his head out of the bathroom.

"What's up?" Heiji asked, giving her what he knew full well was a strained smile. His parents had been walking around him almost on tiptoes for the past three days- even his father had- a thing which had proved itself to be somehow more surreal than the matter of his own face. "Ya've got an awfully serious expression on yer face, mom."

"Kazuha-chan's leaving today." Shizuka told him, trying to keep her voice as gentle as possible. "I thought you might want to know."

"O-oh." Heiji slowly blinked, swallowing a little. He already knew that Kazuha's mother was planning on moving out to the countryside with her, bringing her to live with her grandparents out there. It was to make things easier on her, and wouldn't be for forever- but long enough, really. "I see. So everything's settled then, huh?"

Tucking his hands into his pockets, Heiji glanced down at the floor, watching the way his toes curled as he shifted his feet. He was going to miss her, when it came down to it- even though they bickered and fought, she had always been a constant in his life, someone who was always there for him when he really needed her to be. She had been the one who found him in the first place, who had saved his life- and had done it twice over, in the end.

And as a result, she no longer had any memory of him. In order to save him the second time, Kazuha had willingly traded fourteen years worth of memories of him- for all the years that he'd lived- in order to create the very thing that he now wore on his face, taking the place of the missing half of his soul. She would never get them back, for as long as she lived- unless he managed to find the missing half of his soul and restore it to himself, allowing the mask to return to simply being a mask.

"If you want to go see her, now might be your only chance, Heiji." Shizuka told him, carefully studying her son. Even through the mask, she could still recognize the expressions she had come to know over the past fourteen years since he had come into her life. Really, she had been the one who wanted to give up her own memories in order to create it- but Kazuha had been insistent, and she'd eventually been forced to relent. Heiji needed both of his parents to remember him, to help him get through what was to come, she'd said.

Perhaps one day, the two of them would become friends again anyways, Kazuha had told them with a smile on her face. But if he never woke up, they'd never have the chance to.

"I..." Heiji began, pulling one hand out of his pocket, rubbing the back of his neck, averting his eyes from his mother. Glancing back towards the mirror behind him, catching sight of his mask face, Heiji let out a sigh, turning back to properly face her, a sheepish grin worn on his face. "I can't. Not like _this_."

This wasn't like him, he knew that much full well.

"Is that really fine, Heiji?" Shizuka asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. The last thing that she wanted was for all of this to cause her bright and friendly son to withdraw into himself- not that she would be able to blame him, really. She couldn't even imagine how it was that he felt, and found herself every day wishing that there had been some other way. "Kazuha-chan might not be coming back home for quite some time. This might really be your last chance to see her for who knows how long, honey."

"She doesn't know me anymore, mom." Heiji told her, shrugging his shoulders. "An' if I show up with a face like this, I'd just scare her. Ya know how she is about monsters an' stuff."

"Hattori Heiji, you are _not_ a monster." Shizuka's tone was sharp, her eyes narrowing. "You're just a bit... _different_ , now."

Unable to help himself, Heiji snorted. "Well, that's one way of puttin' it." He said, giving her something that felt more like a genuine grin. "Her folks are sendin' Kazuha away in the first place ta make everythin' easier on her, since we don't know what kind of effects losin' parts of her memory might have on her. If I showed up, it'd just mess with all of that."

"Heiji..." Shizuka began, before letting out a long sigh. "You could at least see her one last time, without meeting her, you know. I think you'd regret it if you didn't."

"An' what?" Folding his arms in front of his chest, Heiji felt one of the brows of his mask raise. "Go outside lookin' like _this_?"

"You can't hole yourself up in the house forever." Shizuka pointed out, crossing the room so that she stood in front of him. "Or are you saying that Hattori Heiji is about to be defeated by something like this?"

"I'm not sayin' that!" Heiji snapped, wincing a little as the power flickered in response to the lashing of his temper. "I don't want ta be cooped up in here forever either, but...!" Trailing off, Heiji placed a hand over his face, wondering how it was that he still managed to feel the sensation of his own touch on it. "I mean, look at me. It'd be bad enough if I just had ta wear the mask fer the rest of my life, but on top of that, the damn thing moves too. There's not gonna be a single person out there who is gonna treat me normal anymore."

"Heiji that's not true." Shizuka told him, carefully cupping his face in her hands, watching as he dropped his own hand away from the mask, eyes darting off to what she assumed was the side. It was a bit hard to tell. "There will be people who _will_. Trust me."

"I find that hard ta believe." Heiji muttered, shoving his hands back into his pockets once more. After a long period of silence, he let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. "But maybe yer right. I do kinda want ta see Kazuha one last time before she leaves."

"That's the spirit, Heiji." Shizuka said, letting her hands slide from his face, giving his shoulders a soft squeeze. "I'll walk with you myself. Hurry up and get dressed."

"Aw mom, I don't need ya ta come with me." Heiji grumbled, shooting her something of a dirty look. "I'm fourteen ya know, walkin' around with my old lady at this age is nothin' short of embarrassing."

He wanted to see Kazuha off on his own, anyways. It might very well be the last time he ever saw her- because even if she came back, he doubted that they could just pick up where they had left off. In spite of his mother's kind words, he knew what it was that he looked like now- not like someone who was human. Kazuha hated this sort of thing, had ever since she was a little child. With no memories of who he was, there was no way that she would accept him like this.

And that hurt him more than he expected it to. Dammit- when exactly had he gotten so attached to that idiot anyways?  
_________________________________________________________________________________

"Kazuha? Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no." Shaking her head and glancing back up towards her mother, giving her a bright smile, Kazuha shook her head. "I just thought I saw someone fer a second. It turned out ta be nobody though. More importantly, I'm excited to see grandma an' grandpa again! It feels like I haven't visited them since fifth grade!"

Granted, Kazuha still didn't quite fully understand why her mother had suddenly decided to go out to the countryside to live with them. Their health wasn't so bad that they needed someone to look after them. She understood even less why her mother had decided to bring her with her, giving her three days to get everything in order and to pack her bags. Everything had happened in something of a rush, and before she knew it, she was sitting in the back of her mother's car, driving through the streets of Osaka that she knew so well for what might be the last time for awhile.

She barely had time to dwell on why her head felt so fuzzy from time to time, as if there was something missing- but it was a feeling that was slowly starting to fade. Just for a moment though, as she thought she caught someone watching them from out of the corner of her eye, it came back to hit her in full force, the feeling that there was something that she was going to be leaving behind here.

Pausing to glance back behind her again, Kazuha frowned a little, unable to see anyone there anymore. Maybe she had just imagined it.  
_________________________________________________________________________

From within the shadow of his jacket's hood, Heiji watched the car carrying his childhood friend drive off. Hands tucked into his jacket pocket, he watched as the car turned a corner, fading from view, taking the familiar ponytailed girl that he had come to know so well with it.

"Ahh, there she goes." Heiji said, heaving a long sigh, closing his eyes. "In the end, I didn't even get ta say goodbye."

Well, not that he really _could_ , anyways. He knew her as his childhood friend, but to her, he'd just be a stranger wearing a mask- someone that she didn't know. As the last trace of sound the car left behind faded away- he couldn't help but feel that his hearing had gotten a lot sharper lately, perhaps because he had two sets of ears now- if that was even how that worked- Heiji turned on his heel, turning away from the Toyama family home.

Glancing up towards the sky, wondering how it was he could still manage to feel the rays of the warm summer sun on his face, Heiji's eyes narrowed. The whole world as seen through his new eyes was different now- there were things that he could see now that he couldn't see before, and he half wished he could go back to _not_ seeing. Nothing would ever be the same for him- but he was going to be stubborn and try to forge his way through life anyways, to _hell_ with what anyone had to say about him, or what anyone thought about him.

His mother was right- it wasn't like him to be defeated by something like this. He'd pull himself out of this, one way or another. Things might never be the same again- but he'd find some kind of new normal, of that much he was certain.

One that didn't involve Kazuha.

Or at least- that had been what he had thought at the time. Long after he would have given up hope of having anyone outside of his own family treat him with anything that resembled normalcy, there would be any number of people who would enter his life who would do just that- and chief among them would be none other than Toyama Kazuha herself.

Just because a bond was forgotten, didn't mean it was broken.


	18. Springtime Slumber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scent of spring in the air lulled her into light slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finally finishing off that series of four seasons + taking a nap series that I was working on, here's springtime with a little bit of Shinran! I hope everyone enjoys!

He was gone for all of three minutes, in order to fetch some drinks from the cooler that they had brought with them. But those three minutes had been all that Mouri Ran had needed to drift of, already finding herself deep in slumber by the time he returned. Whether it was because she was lulled there by the gentle spring breeze, the sound of the softly chirping birds in the distance, or the gentle scent of lavender that bloomed in the field around them, he wasn't quite certain. Perhaps it was a combination of all of those factors, that had caused her to drift off, lulled by the sense of relaxation it brought to her.

In the end, he supposed it didn't really matter.

Very quietly making his way over to her side, Conan carefully crouched down next to her, a soft smile on his face. Ran's sleeping face was one of the most beautiful things in the world, he couldn't help but think to himself, even as a red tint rose to his cheeks at that very thought. The only thing that could have made this better, he thought, was if he could enjoy it in his real body, as Kudo Shinichi, and not as runty, pint-sized Edogawa Conan.

Still, were he not Edogawa Conan, he supposed he might not be able to enjoy it at all. The poison that he had been given was just that- a poison. Finding himself in the body of a child was still better than dying, especially when there was a chance that one day, he could return to how things once were. Not to mention, he would have died without ever knowing that Ran returned his feelings for, nevermind the fact that he would have left her behind. In that sense, he was very lucky indeed, and not a day went by that he wasn't grateful for this fact, even though some were harder than others.

Carefully taking a seat next to Ran, he couldn't help but smile as he watched her sleeping face, gentle breaths escaping from her lips. There would come a time when he would be able to see such a sight with his own eyes, as Kudo Shinichi- but for now, he would have to make do with what he had. Lying down in the grass next to her, Conan closed his eyes, feeling the gentle spring breeze lightly brushing against his skin, the soft scent of lavender dancing on it.

No wonder Ran had fallen asleep so quickly, he thought to himself, turning his head and realizing in a burst of red heat that he was now quite close to that of her own. Turning his head quickly away, he felt his heart pound loudly in his chest- really, who was it that allowed her to be this cute?

Not that he really had any complaints, mind you.

Chancing a glance back over towards her, he couldn't help but notice that her sleeping expression had shifted somewhat, growing more troubled. As a name rolled off of her lips- his own name, the name that he should be going by right now- his eyes could only narrow. It was in such times that he thought about throwing aside his assumed identity as Edogawa Conan and telling her everything- but he knew that he couldn't, knew that he had to hold on, to wait for the day when it would be safe to do so.

Whenever that day would be.

He hoped it would be soon, because he didn't want to keep Ran waiting for him for forever. That was something that he couldn't do to her.

But for the moment, he thought he'd try and put such troubles to rest. It was a lovely day, for once perfectly peaceful- and he wasn't about to let it pass him by. Carefully reaching out and twining his too small hand with Ran's, he watched as her expression calmed, her breathing growing peaceful once more.

"I'm here, Ran." He softly whispered, closing his own eyes once more. "I'm right here."


	19. The Witch Speaks of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running a booth at the school festival had not been Akako's idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now here's a somewhat silly idea that I've had lurking around for awhile (with a hint of seriousness here and there), so I hope everyone enjoys!

For future reference, the fortune telling booth _hadn't_ been Akako's idea.

Taking a leave of absence on the day that their class was scheduled to select what they were doing for the cultural festival had clearly been her mistake. That said, when she learned what it was that the class had picked, she knew without even having to ask that it had been by Kaito's suggestion- as well as the fact that her classmates were all but pleading for her to be the one in charge of it.

And with the eyes of the entire class on her, she couldn't very well refuse. She was, however, going to pick something a bit more interesting than your run of the mill fortune telling booth. Doubtless there would be any number of those at the school festival, and not only did she know full well that her prophecies were hardly the sort of thing suited for such an event, but she also wanted to do something that would assure that she would stand out.

If she was going to do this, she was going to it right- and in a manner that would leave her competitors in the dust. If there were going to be any number of booths where hacks plied their trade, trying to convince guest that they could part the veils of time, and see into their future, then Akako was going to do something entirely different. The thought of being compared, in any form or fashion, to a rank amateur just playing around was more than her pride as a witch could bear.

Instead of looking forward, she would look back- back into their past life. For a witch of her talent, such a thing would be simple child's play.

Besides, prying into the pasts of random strangers and those she knew well alike always was rather amusing. If only simply for results such as _this_ -

"A horse."

"Yes indeed, a rather magnificent white horse, in fact. Not ridden by a prince though, I'm afraid." Akako coolly observed, keeping her amusement contained, so that it did not leak out into her voice.

"Turns out your name suits you after all, Hakuba!" Kaito couldn't help but quip, not even bothering to so much as mask his own amusement in turn, a wide grin on his face as he elbowed the high school detective in the shoulder. "Why don't you give us a neigh, horse boy?"

"Come now Kaito, don't be like that!" Aoko said, puffing out her cheeks a little. "Besides, if Hakuba-kun was a white horse in his past life, then Aoko bets that you were a cockroach in yours!"

"That would be impossible. Cockroaches don't have souls." Akako noted simply, her gaze sliding over towards Kaito. "Why don't you lend me your hand then, Kuroba-kun, and we can see just what _you_ were up to in your past life?"

"No, I don't think that's really..." Kaito's protest was cut short by Aoko grabbing his hand and all but pinning it down on Akako's table, Hakuba barely moving aside in time to avoid it. "Wait a second, Aoko!"

"You're the one who pressed Hakuba-kun to get his past life read, so you should be willing to do the same, Kaito!" Aoko insisted, before broadly beaming towards Akako. "He's all yours now, Akako-chan!"

"Thank you kindly, Nakamori-san." Casting a slight smile towards her, she carefully took Kaito's hand in her own before he had a chance to slip it away from Aoko's grasp. No doubt such a thing would be simple for the phantom thief known as Kaito Kid but she wasn't about to give him the chance. Parting the veils of time and glancing backwards, a coy smile crossed Akako's face as an image was conjured up in her mind's eye. "My, my, Kuroba-kun. It seems you had a rather interesting past life yourself. A royal stable hand!"

Shame that he didn't work at the same stable that Hakuba had been kept at- now that would have been terribly amusing.

"And I was probably the best one of the bunch too!" Snatching his hand back away from her, casting her a long look, wondering if she was just making things up, or if she was really seeing something, Kaito turned on his heel, quickly pushing Aoko down into the chair with a smile. "Now then, Aoko, you're the only one among us who hasn't had her past read! Now it's your turn!"

Rather than a feeling of dread, Aoko looked elated, all but offering her hand right up towards Akako, a bright smile on her face. It half made Akako want to mess with her a bit, perhaps making up some kind of lie that was suited for the childish girl- but she was here to do a job, however forced upon her it had been, and she was going to do it correctly. Her pride wouldn't allow for less. Taking Aoko's hand in her own, Akako carefully glanced back through the veils of time, peeking into the past once more.

And was somewhat surprised with what she found. Of all things that she could call Nakamori Aoko, _graceful_ wasn't one of them.

"A ballerina, for a famous Russian company, none the less." Akako observed, her voice smooth as she spoke. "Albeit one who tragically died young. Do take care to avoid such a fate in this life, Nakamori-san."

"Ballet! Aoko's always admired ballerinas!" Aoko's eyes shined at the mention of the sport, happily pulling her hand close to her chest. For a moment, it seemed as if the latter part of her words had fallen on deaf ears- before she gave her a grave nod, seemingly taking them to heart. "And don't worry, Akako-chan! Aoko will take good care of herself in this life, so you don't have to worry about her!"

With a slight blink, Akako vaguely wondered where she had gotten the impression that she had been worried for her- she had merely been telling her what it was that she saw. Well, she paid it no mind. "Well now, now that I've glimpsed into the past of all three of you, it's time for you all to be off. The cultural festival will begin properly soon, so I can't have my classmates cluttering the booth when it does."

With a wave of Akako's hand as her cue, Aoko cheerfully escorted the two boys out of the tent that they had set up in the classroom, leaving Akako alone.  
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Perhaps Akako's most memorable customers of the day were the young, rather loud Osakan couple, and the child that she recognized as being the one who had earned himself the reputation of the Kid Killer, who entered her tent walking hand in hand with what she could only assume was his babysitter. She briefly wondered if Kaito was aware that Edogawa Conan had shown up at his school, and couldn't help but imagine the rather loud internal screaming she was almost certain that he would be doing should he catch wind of such a thing.

"Like I said, there's no point ta all of this!" The dark skinned young man complained, glowering at the ponytailed girl who had all but dragged him in. "This sort of thing is total bunk anyways! Who ever heard of someone readin' into yer past life?"

"Come now, Heiji! There's no need ta be sayin' that still, not now that yer in here with this beautiful young lady!" The ponytailed girl puffed out her cheeks. "Anyways, I want ta have my past read, an' that's the whole of it, so just put up with it!" Taking the seat in front of Akako, the girl beamed broadly at her. "Please excuse him, miss. I'm Toyama Kazuha."

"Toyama-san, is it?" Akako asked, a bright smile crossing her face, as she spared the vaguest of glances up towards the young man that she was with. She couldn't help but notice that her charm all but seemed to bounce right off of him- rather than being immune to it, he flat out just didn't seem to notice it. It wasn't often that she ran into the amazingly dense sort, but experience had dictated to her that they were generally far more trouble than they were worth. "Please allow me to see your hand, so that I might read into your past."

Watching out of the corner of her eye as the young man rolled his eyes, casting a glance down towards the bespectacled boy by his side, she half couldn't wait for him to step up to the plate. As Kazuha gave Akako her hand, she carefully took it into her own, peering back into the distant past.

"My, you've had quite the past, Toyama-san." Akako couldn't help but note, a vague hint of a smile appearing on her lips. "A brave, valiant female warrior, who fought any number of difficult enemies and overcame them all. You'll be delighted to know that you lived to a ripe old age as well. There's good luck in your line, it seems."

"Oh, I knew it!" Kazuha couldn't help but beam at the last part, casting a glance up towards the young man, shooting him a satisfied look that Akako couldn't help but find curious. "Thank ya! Now then, Ran-chan, it's yer turn!"

"Ah, yes!" Nodding her head, Ran released her hold on Conan's hand, taking the seat that Kazuha offered to her. "I'm Mouri Ran. Ah, here's my hand." She said, holding it out for Akako to take, which she did with the vaguest of smiles.

And for a moment, as she peered beyond the veil of time, she found her breath almost taken away. Swallowing a little, she forced her expression not to change- because it wasn't often that she crossed paths with one who was nothing short of a unicorn reborn into human form. That would, perhaps, explain the rather odd horn of hair, she couldn't help but think to herself, her gaze only briefly flicking up towards it.

But it would be best _not_ to tell her such things. "A baker." Akako lied through her teeth, a placid smile crossing her face as she released her hand, watching the vision slip away from her. "A baker living in a rather charming little village."

"Oh, that sounds real nice, Ran-chan!" Kazuha said, to which the girl herself seemed to agree, blissfully unaware of the truth. "Now then, Heiji, it's yer turn!"

"Like I said, Kazuha, I have no interest in this sort of thing!" Heiji insisted, narrowing his eyes, casting a skeptical glance down towards the girl.

"Oh come on now, we're here anyways, so ya might as well get it done!" Kazuha insisted, taking him by the shoulder and all but forcefully navigating him into the chair, keeping him planted there by fixing her hands on his shoulders. "This one here is Hattori Heiji, an' don't mind half the things that come out of his mouth. He doesn't do an awful lot of thinkin'!"

Grumbling at the faint snicker that he heard from the bespectacled child, Heiji cast a glower back towards him, before rather grumpily presenting Akako his hand. "Come on then, Neesan, ya might as well get yer hack job over an' done with!"

"It's very rude to insult someone and then ask for their services." Akako noted with distaste, carefully taking his hand from him, holding it in her own. Goodness but this one had some rather bad luck, she couldn't help but note, even as she parted the veils of time, glancing backwards- and found herself unable to keep the amused smirk that came as a result off of her face.

"Well, first of all, I must say, congratulations on your _very first_ incarnation as a human, Hattori-san." Akako noted, unable to keep her amusement, likewise, out of her voice. "It's not often that I run into one with such an otherwise unbroken chain such as yourself. You must have gathered up quite a bit of luck to avoid being reincarnated as a dog yet again in this life."

At the bright red color that his face took on, and the way he snatched his wrist back, Akako allowed herself the faintest hint of laughter. Especially as he turned around, glowering at the party behind him. "Like I said, this stuff's fake, _fake_! An' don't give me that look that says that explains so much! Honestly!"

Getting to his feet, he all but grabbed Conan by the collar, plopping him down in the chair, shoving said chair forward with one foot. "Here ya go. Read this pipsqueak last, if yer gonna be that way."

Watching as the child shot Heiji the dirtiest look she'd ever seen someone his age manage, Akako blinked a little as he finally turned her way. How curious- she almost felt the faintest tug of her charm working, even though this child was far out of the intended age range of such a thing. She had no interest in the affection of children, after all.

"Edogawa Conan." Conan finally introduced herself, shooting Heiji one last dirty look as he gave the fortune teller her hand. Granted, he didn't believe in this sort of thing either- even if all of Heiji's past incarnations being dogs would in fact, explain so much about him. "Here's my hand, onee-chan!"

"Thank you kindly child." Akako said, carefully taking the small hand in her own. She couldn't help but take curious note of the fact that his life line seemed to be somewhat off for a child of his age- it felt as if he had lived a bit longer than he appeared to have. It gave her a rather strange feeling- and it was one that only increased as she attempted to glance into his past.

It was clouded, strangely, by the present in a way that she had not yet seen. She had given her his name as Edogawa Conan, but Edogawa Conan did not have a chain of pasts- but rather, only one, and one that made no sense at that. Certainly, the young man in her vision seemed to have tragically died, but it didn't feel nearly long enough ago for him to have reincarnated as a seven year old boy.

How curious. How very _very_ curious.

"A detective." Akako said finally, giving him a smile as she released his hand. "In your past life, you were a detective, and quite a clever one at that, child. Not clever enough, mind you, to avoid getting yourself killed, so do take care not to do as such in this life."

The long, considering look that the child cast her way was something that she found rather strange as well. It passed quickly however, replaced by a rather bright smile.

"Don't worry, onee-chan!" Conan brightly chirped, masking his true feelings underneath the childish expression. Perhaps this one wasn't so much of a fraud after all, and he dared not look back towards Ran, hoping that this didn't rouse any kind of suspicion within her. "I'll make sure that I don't!"


	20. The Cat's Meow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's basically no way she could say no to that face- either of them, really.

"But Ai-chan, they'll die if we leave them here!"

Ai opened her mouth to protest- there was no doubt that on a street with heavy foot traffic as this one, that someone would eventually come along, who was far more well equipped to deal with this situation. As much sympathy as she felt for the creatures- the four kittens, almost as tiny as her hand, neither of them really had the ability to take them in. Ayumi's apartment didn't allow for pets, and there were too many dangerous things lying around the Professor's place for her to bring them home with her.

She didn't know which expression it was that caused her to shut her mouth however, causing her to rethink her words. Was it Ayumi's pleading expression, pulling at that big sister instinct that she had been developing for the younger girl? Or perhaps it was that of the kitten that she all but clutched in her arms, who for all the world looked as if she was pleading for Ai to take her with her. Perhaps it was both- both expressions tugging at her heartstrings in ways many things couldn't.

At the very least, it was only just the two of them here now. If Conan were to see such an expression on her face, he was sure to never let her live it down. Honestly, at times it felt as if he forgot that he was the older of the pair, by at least two years.

Heaving a long sigh, half feeling like she was going to regret this, Ai reached out, carefully taking the kitten from Ayumi's arms. It was warm to the touch, and all but curled up in her grasp as she took it, letting out a faint meow, soft paws pressing against her chest. Though she tried to hold it in, she couldn't help but allow a tender expression to surface on her face as she lightly reached out a hand, scratching the kitten underneath the chin. As it purred at her touch, almost vibrating in her hands, Ai's soft smile only grew.

"I suppose it can't be helped." Ai said after a long moment, turning back to her. "You're right, we can't exactly just leave them here. For all we know, someone bad might come along, and these babies deserve better than to have to deal with that."

"Thank you, Ai-chan!" Ayumi's bright smile all but lit up the very air around her. Turning back around on her heel, she gazed cheerfully down towards the other three kittens, reaching out her hands and petting their little heads, the tiny kittens letting out a chorus of meows every time she so much as moved her hand away from them. "Did you hear that? We're going to find you all nice places to live!"

"Still, we can't very well take them to either of our homes, so the question remains- where exactly should we take them?" Ai asked, carefully placing the kitten that she had been cradling in her arms back down in the box with it's siblings. The kitten carefully made it's way over towards them, rubbing herself against them, curling up with them, looking quite content for a poor thing that had been thrown out so heartlessly. Honestly, if she ever got the chance to meet the person who did this, she'd give them a good talking to! "Either way, we should probably give Kobayashi-sensei a call soon, and see if she can arrange something with the school to help us find homes for them. That way would be the fastest, I think."

"You're right! I'm sure Kobayashi-sensei would help!" Ayumi chirped, nodding her head before, before frowning, considering her earlier questions. "But let's see... I don't think we could take them to Mitsuhiko-kun's place. Ayumi thinks his mom's allergic to them." She said with a frown. "And Genta-kun's place is a store, so I don't think we can bring them there, either."

"What about that place then?" Ai asked after a moment, a slightly sly grin crossing her face. "If I recall correctly, they already look after one from time to time, so I don't think they should have any protests to looking after these sweeties for a few days."

That was how they ended up at the front door of the Mouri Detective Agency, box of kittens in hand, both girls putting on their best pleading looks as they tearfully begged the so-called great detective to look after the poor abandoned darlings for at least the next few days while they found them proper homes. And whether it was because of their own tearful expressions, or because of the pleading meows of the kittens, just as Ai predicated, Mouri Kogoro eventually was forced to cave in.


	21. Crossroads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When meeting a stranger at the crossroads, it's always a risk to trust what they say. (AU)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So this is actually something of I guess, an exploratory oneshot for me in relation to an idea for a proper fic that I want to write in the future. I suppose you could call this something of a prologue for the fic in question, even! I wanted to toy with the idea in writing first for a bit, and this is the result of that, so I thought I would go ahead and present it for everyone to read- and to whet their appetites, I guess. In spite of this oneshot not being very focused on her, it's definitely planned to be a pretty Kazuha-centric sort of story.
> 
> Well then, until next time!

"Did ya lose yer way, detective?"

The faint sound of bells accompanied the sound of the young man's voice, which worked it's way out of the thick fog that had all but engulfed the road. Barely unable to see in front of him, Kudo Shinichi turned on his heel, narrowing his eyes sharply at the figure that all but seemed to drift out of the fog. With a sword worn at his waist, a pair of small bells tied around the handle of the blade, and a rather lazily worn yukata, the dark skinned man who stepped out from the veils of fog had a rather amused grin on his features. One blue eye carefully studied the young man before him, and only the one- for the other, his right, was concealed by bandages, wound tightly around his head. Bells chimed faintly from where they were strung around his ankles, and as geta clad feet took a step forward towards him, his amusement only seeming to grow the longer he remained silent.

Vaguely, Shinichi got the feeling that he was currently in the presence of something otherworldly.

"I suppose that I have." Shinichi said slowly, wishing that he had taken up Shiho's offer of bringing some wards with him, not knowing what kind of creature that it was that he was facing now. If he was giving off any miasma, it was next to impossible to tell, given the thick fog that clouded his vision, dancing around the sword wielding, one-eyed young man as if it were paying him no heed. "What of you, fellow traveler? I'm afraid you have me at something of a loss here, for you know as to how I am employed, and yet I know nothing of you. Judging from your sword, a bodyguard of some type, perhaps? Forgive me, but you do not have the look of a samurai about you."

The young man let out a laugh, his lips quirking together in a grin. "Well, let's just say I'm an exorcist, an' leave it at that, detective. I've been watching ya wander about aimlessly within this fog fer some time now. Ya ever plannin' on makin' any progress?"

"Generally it's considered polite to give one's name, before one taunts those they are speaking to." Shinichi couldn't help but note, not buying the story of him being a simple exorcist for a second. He was no expert on the youkai and spirits that traveled the plane just beyond their own, but he was a rather clever detective, and it was no mystery to him that the person before him was hardly a person at all. Not a ghost, as they still had feet, perhaps, but something otherwise not human. "I'd give you my name, but I'm not certain as to what you'd do with it."

"Perhaps a wise choice, detective." Taking another step, slowly circling around him, the small, round bells twined around his ankles faintly chiming as he walked, the young man's grin didn't fade as he watched the way Shinichi didn't take his eyes off of him even for a moment. "I'm Hattori Heiji. An' don't view me with such cold suspicion, not when I've come ta lend ya a hand. Where is it that yer tryin' ta go? The capital? I wouldn't recommend it. Nothin' good fer ya lies in that direction."

"Are you an exorcist or a prophet?" Shinichi found himself asking, grateful when Heiji came to a stop, the faint sound of bells ceasing with it. "I am headed for the capital, for matter of fact. Why do you say I should not go there?"

"A bit of both, really. In yonder direction, towards the capital, lies nothin' but deadly danger fer ya." Heiji told him, casting a glance back in the direction he assumed the path heading towards the capital was. "I recommend that ya head ta the west instead, in such a direction." Casting out one hand, pointing it in the direction of west, able to discern such even within the thick fog. Shinichi faintly narrowed his eyes at the sight of his hand, bandages twining about it, down to his fingers. Just on the right, much like his eye.

"And what, pray tell, lies in the west?" Shinichi inquired, watching a knowing look surface in Heiji's good eye, knowing that he had sparked his interest.

"A girl, bereft of her mother, taken from her by those of wicked intents." Heiji told him. "She seeks someone of yer skill, detective, an' that is why ya've found yerself in this fog in the first place, for there are those who do not want ya ta find yer way ta her side, ta aid her in her quest."

"And who is this girl to you, that are you are so interested in seeing me aid her?" Shinichi asked.

"No one." Heiji said simply, giving him a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I merely find her interestin' ta look at sometimes. No more an' no less. Head ta the west, detective, an' seek out the daughter of the second in command of the western city's police."

"I've been told that trusting a stranger who stands at the crossroads is generally not wise, especially not when they're as strange as yourself." Shinichi said simply, locking eyes with him, watching as Heiji burst out into laughter at his words. "Why is it that I should trust you, Hattori-san?"

"Why is it indeed that ya should trust me?" Heiji asked in turn, grin still not fading from his features. "In both directions, danger lies. Ta be frank, detective, whether ya live or die, I don't care that much, but I'm rather interested in seein' ta it that this girl succeeds in her quest with little harm done ta her. An' I've heard of yer reputation, young yet though ya are. Ya could say that I have faith in yer abilities, _detective_."

"An' because I'm the only one who can guide ya out of this fog." Heiji added, almost as an afterthought.

"So in other words, I don't have much of a choice in the matter." Shinichi noted shortly, watching as Heiji once again let out a loud laugh. "Very well then, exorcist. I suppose I'll go see this _client_ of yours."

"A wise choice yet again, detective." Heiji told him, taking a step forward, reaching into one of the pouches that hung from his waist, opposite the side his sword hung from. With a swift motion, he twisted the cap off of a container, and with his left hand, the one without bandages, cast a line of it's contents over his brow, invading his personal space before Shinichi had much of a chance to protest. "The path ta the west will be clear to ya now, so head onwards an' make good time."

"Are those well wishes, or a threat?" Shinichi couldn't help but ask.

"A bit of both, really." Heiji told him with that easy grin of his, taking a step back, tossing him the small container that he had just used, which he caught with one hand. "Should yer vision start ta cloud again, wipe another stroke over yer brow."

"I thank you for the gift then, exorcist." Shinichi said, tucking the container away in one of his own pouches. "I have one more question for you, before you go back to whence you came, however."

"Oh?" Tilting his head slightly to the side, Heiji's brow arched, a note of undeniable curiosity to his voice. "Whatever might that be, detective? I can't promise ya an answer."

"From whence did you come, exorcist?" Shinichi asked, holding Heiji's gaze with that of his own. "From the path leading out of the fog, or the path leading into the heart of it?"

"Well now, that is the question, detective." Heiji said, taking a step back, the sound of bells faintly breaking apart the silence of the misty forest. "As I told ya before, I'm a fellow traveler, an' merely a humble exorcist. Perhaps more, perhaps less, but that's fer me ta know, an' ya ta riddle out."

"You've a strange way of asking a man for favors." Shinichi noted aloud, before merely heaving a sigh, sensing that he was not going to get the answers that he sought from him. "But I thank you for the kind directions, and the prophecy as well."

"Do take care, detective." Heiji told him, something twinkling within his one good eye, an echo of which was written into his smile- mischief. "Perhaps if ya follow the path that I've set, ya might even eventually come across the one it is that you seek in the first place."

At his words, Shinichi took a step forward, a surge of anger almost shooting through him, knowing at once what and who he meant. The reason that he had become a detective in the first place- there was no way he could ever forget. "What do you know of-!"

Silence. Not even the sound of bells echoed through the misty forest, as Shinichi once again found himself alone at the crossroads. Taking in a breath, he took a step back, before turning around on his heel. Just as Heiji had promised, the way ahead was now clear to him. The path that stretched towards the western city of Osaka now fully visible, trees having long since burst through the blackened earth, reducing the road to barely anything more than rubble, only one path clear, the stark white line down the center holding fast, even as time passed.

Generally speaking, it was rather ill advised to take directions from a stranger one met at a crossroads. But the scent of a case was tantalizing- as was the promise that it may very well lead him to the one he sought, the childhood friend that had been lost to him so many years ago.

Taking a step forward through the fog, Kudo Shinichi began his journey west.


	22. Piggyback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wasn't the person she was expecting to find her, but here he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's not enough fics that revolve around Ran and Heiji's relationship, which is a damn shame, because I'm pretty sure they'd get along pretty well with one another when it comes down to it. So I wrote one myself!

"Oh, so this is where ya were, Neechan!"

"Hattori-kun?" Blinking rapidly, Ran glanced up from where she had buried her head in her knees. She must have dozed off there for awhile- it was a good thing that it was still warm out, even though it was already fall. For a moment, her posture shifted, half wanting to get up- before a sharp throb in her ankle reminded her of the reason why she had stayed put where she was in the first place. Glancing back up, she winced once again as her eyes trailed up the hill that she had slid down, marks leftover in the mud showing her path of descent. Considering that, she was lucky she had only ended up with what was probably a sprained ankle and some minor scrapes and bruises.

But how embarrassing! And it wasn't even the _first_ time that she had done something like this! Granted, she'd been so busy looking for the missing child that she hadn't entirely been watching where she was going- but that was still no real excuse. Not only had she gotten far enough into the mountain that she couldn't make her way back on her own, not with her ankle like this, but she'd probably given everyone someone else to look for on top of the already missing girl.

Not _probably_ , she supposed, looking up at Heiji's face- but rather, _definitely_. A quick glance at her watch told her that three hours had already passed- she had probably been worrying everyone to no end. The only thing that gave her some small amount of relief was the fact that she noticed that the brim of Heiji's cap was facing backwards again- which she took as a sign that the earlier case must have already wrapped itself up.

"Everyone back at the lodge is worried about ya, ya know." Heiji said, nodding his head in what must have been it's general direction. Especially Kudo, who had been downright frantic when Ran didn't return with the rest of the search party. "How did ya get all the way down here?"

"I slipped." Ran admitted after a moment, glancing back up in the direction she had come from.

"Oh, I see that now." Heiji noted, letting out a low whistle as his eyes trailed the path she'd created in the mud. Scratching the back of his head, Heiji crouched down in front of her, eyes trailing down to her right ankle, quickly noticing that it appeared to be rather swollen. Nothing looked broken, at least not at first glance, which was good, but it still didn't look good. "Did ya hurt yer ankle?"

"I think I must have sprained it on the way down." Ran said, placing a light hand over it, wincing as even her soft touch was enough to send another sharp spike of pain through it. "I thought it would be safer to stay where I was and wait for someone to come along than try and get back on my own."

"Yeah, that was probably fer the best." Heiji noted. "Mind if I...?"

"Ah, no. Go ahead." Ran said, shaking her head, giving him a quick smile. With careful fingers, Heiji reached out to examine her ankle himself, making a slight face as he did. "Is anyone else with you, Hattori-kun?"

"We split up, so no." Heiji said, shaking his head. "Ah, but if yer still worried about the missing child, she was found safe an' sound. A few bruises here an' there, but she'll be okay. Ku- no, yer old man an' I already wrapped up the case back at the lodge."

"I see. That's good." Ran said, letting out a long sigh of relief, placing her hand over her heart. "Sorry. I must have troubled everyone."

"Nah, don't worry about it, Neechan." Heiji said, beaming brightly at her. "Can ya walk any? I think I more or less know how ta get back from here, but..."

"Not very well." Ran admitted, shaking her head. "Sorry, Hattori-kun."

"Honestly, ya don't have ta keep apologizin'." Heiji told her, shaking his head. Tilting his head slightly, he seemed lost in thought for a moment, before he nodded his head. "Well, it'll get dark pretty soon, so we should probably make our way back as soon as possible. Here, Neechan."

Turning around to show her his back, Heiji motioned with his head that she should get on. "I'll carry ya."

"It's fine, you don't have to do something like that!" Ran said, shaking her head, her cheeks turning a faint shade of red. "I can walk, a little, at least."

"It'll be faster if I carry ya." Heiji insisted, beaming back at her, turning the brim of his cap back around to face forward, so that it wouldn't get in the way. "Besides, Kudo would never forgive me if I forced his injured girlfriend ta walk. Come on now, the day's not gettin' any longer."

"He's not really my _boyfriend_..." Ran mumbled underneath her breath, her cheeks tinting a faint pink as Heiji's grin only broadened at the words. Taking in and letting out a long breath, Ran eventually gave in- he was right, they really would make better time like this. If she tried to walk back to the lodge, even leaning on his shoulder, she might only make her injury even worse. "Fine."

Carefully wrapping her arms around Heiji's neck, Ran whispered a silent apology to Kazuha for borrowing her childhood friend's back, making _damn well sure_ Heiji couldn't hear it as she did so. As he tucked his arms underneath her legs, more or less holding her secure, he rose to his feet. If she hadn't been so distracted at the moment, she might have noticed the sharp inhale of breath he took as he got to his feet, but it slipped by her without notice at the time.

"Too bad ya can't get Kudo ta carry ya this time again, huh?" Heiji teased, glancing around them, eventually picking out the best path from where they were. At the very least, Ran hadn't found herself trapped in a place that was very difficult to get out of- that would be tricky.

"Geez, don't tease me like that." Ran said, puffing out her cheeks lightly. "Besides, Shinichi's not even here." Although it was true that he had appeared out of the blue last- in the end, it had been him who had been called to the village in the first place, and not them. It really wasn't that strange that he would turn up there.

"Ah, well, I suppose that's true..." Heiji trailed off a little, averting his gaze from her, busying himself with making his way back towards the trail. Technically speaking, that guy _was_ here- but definitely not in a state where he would be able to carry Ran. Mentally, he tried to imagine pint sized Conan even making an attempt- and frankly, it was a small miracle that he managed to bite back the snort he made mentally, keeping it as just that.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel bad for his shrunken friend, but damn, was that ever a funny picture.

Carefully studying the back of his head, Ran frowned a little. She always got the feeling that Heiji knew something about Shinichi that he wasn't telling her. She knew that the two of them had been rather close- even though, to her knowledge, they had only ever met three times. That brief time at the diplomat's house, that time at the play, and that time at the aforementioned village- she had discussed it with Kazuha before, and she had shook her head, telling her that she had never seen Heiji and Shinichi together other than the latter two times.

How was it, then, that the two of them had seemed to become such good friends? Maybe back when Kazuha had been worried about Heiji having some sort of affair- which was really quite hilarious to her now that she had gotten to know him a little bit better- he had actually been calling Shinichi in secret.

Well, it would be rude of her to ask him about all of that right now, seeing as he was helping her out. She'd basically be trapping him into the conversation, since it wasn't like he was the type to abandon someone. That was something that she had come to understand infinitely well over the course of the past half year. She felt like she could understand a little bit as to why Kazuha had come to fall in love with him.

She kind of wished that one day, Shinichi would be around long enough for Kazuha to get to know him as well. She didn't have the chance to back in the village, since Heiji kept hogging most of his time- and what he didn't, she had. Maybe someday soon, that would happen- when he came back from whatever mysterious case it was that had him so busy lately.

"So was it the uncle?" Ran asked after a moment, wanting to break the silence a little.

"Nah, that uncle only sent the threatenin' letter." Heiji said, shaking his head. "He never actually meant to carry through on it, just shake everyone up a little. Apparently he felt like the girl's parents weren't payin' her enough attention. Weird way ta go about it, but I guess his intentions weren't bad, at least. Nah, the culprit was the maid, who took advantage of it."

"I thought she was acting a bit odd, now that you mention it." Ran said, a slight frown gracing her lips. "But it's good that the girl is safe and sound."

"Yeah." Heiji agreed, nodding his head. "As soon as we finished that up, everyone split up again ta look fer ya, Neechan. Why did ya wander out this far anyways?"

"I found a ribbon." Ran told him, giving him something of a sheepish smile. "I thought that maybe it could have belonged to the girl, so I ended up getting a bit turned around when I was checking that possibility out. I guess it didn't, though. Probably just someone's lost item, blown here by the wind."

"How are Conan-kun and dad?" Ran asked, glancing down at him with a slight frown. Somehow, his breathing seemed a little bit labored. Well, this was his second time scouring the mountains, and she was a bit heavy- muscle weight, mostly. She'd half a mind to tell him to put her down, but even if she did, she couldn't imagine that he'd listen.

"Worried, but fine." Heiji told her, glancing up at her with a quick grin, as if sensing what she was thinking. "We all agreed ta meet up back at the lodge in an hour, so I'm sure they'll already be back once we get there. Kazuha an' everyone else as well."

"That's good." Ran said softly, nodding her head. "Some trip this turned out to be. Though it was still fun to run into you and Kazuha-chan, Hattori-kun."

"Well thank ya." Heiji said, his grin growing wider, turning his gaze back on the trail. It had been a bit of a challenge, but he had more or less managed to find it. Speaking of Kazuha, she was probably going to kill him when they got back to the lodge, but it wasn't as if there were many other options in this situation. If he'd left Ran there by herself to go get help, Kudo would probably never forgive him. "I'm sure Kazuha feels the same way. The two of ya have really gotten close!"

"Well, you could say the same for you and Conan-kun." Ran noted, unable to help but smile, a fond expression in her eyes. "He really looks up to you, you know. You two really are just like brothers!"

"Brothers, huh?" Heiji asked, this time letting out his snort. "Well, I guess that's true. He's pretty smart, that kid!"

"Sometimes a bit too smart for his own good." Ran couldn't help but note with a slight frown. "But I'm still proud of him, you know? He's a good kid."

"That he is." Heiji noted, closing his eyes for a moment. He got the feeling that whenever it was Kudo finally broke the truth to Ran- because he knew that one day he would, it was only a matter of _when_ \- that she would probably be mad at him. She'd forgive him in the end, because that was the kind of girl Ran was, and that was how strong their bond was, but she'd _definitely_ be mad.

Come to think of it, she'd probably be mad at him as well. It was probably for the best that when that happened, he stayed clear of Beika for awhile- at least until Ran had time to clear her head. He didn't want to be on the opposite end of Ran's karate- he wasn't an idiot, after all.

"Hey, Neechan-" Heiji began, before glancing back, letting out a small smile as he quickly realized that she had dozed off again. Well, that was fine. It had been a long day, for her more than anyone else, so he wasn't about to wake her up. Turning his attention back on the trail, Heiji focused all of his energy on just getting her back.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ran-neechan?"

Slowly blinking her eyes open, for a moment, unsure of where she was, Ran found herself staring into the concerned eyes of her young ward, her father hovering not far behind him. He seemed to let out a breath of relief as she slowly woke up, and dimly, Ran realized that she was back at the lodge, wrapped up in a warm blanket.

"Conan-kun?" Ran asked, her voice soft. That expression on his face... it was almost more than she could bear. "I'm sorry. You must have been so worried."

"It's alright, Ran-neechan!" Conan said, shaking his head. When she slowly rose up to a sitting position, it looked as if he wanted to protest- but once he saw that she wasn't trying to stand up, he let it go. "We had the lodge doctor look over your ankle. He said it was probably just a bad sprain, and that you should just rest for the time being."

"If anything, that Osakan brat was in a lot worse shape than you. Honestly, what was he even thinking?" Kogoro muttered, before turning to look Ran's way, a slightly grumpy expression giving way to one of relief at seeing his daughter safe and sound. "Just take your time to rest up, Ran. The lodge owner says it's fine if we extend our stay for another day or two, seeing as we brought his daughter back safe and sound."

"Though I don't really remember it at all." Kogoro muttered underneath his breath, a slight frown on his lips.

"Osakan-?" Ran blinked, a frown gracing her features as she looked between her father and Conan, realization dawning on her. "Did something happen to Hattori-kun?"

"Eh, you didn't know, Ran-neechan?" Now it was Conan's turn to blink, a small frown surfacing on his face. Well of course she didn't- that made perfect sense, really. There was no way she would have let him go through with it if she knew. Honestly, for _once_ , Kogoro was right- what on earth was Heiji thinking? It wasn't that he didn't appreciate his friend bringing Ran back to the lodge safe and (mostly) sound, but he didn't need to do it at the risk of his _own_ physical well being.

Then again, it wasn't as if he didn't expect this sort of thing from him. Rather, it was _exactly_ the kind of behavior he had come to expect from Heiji.

"Heiji-niichan fell down the same cliff that you did, apparently." Conan told her, watching the look of shock blossom across her face. "Kazuha-neechan went with him in an ambulance to the hospital just a little while ago. Apparently the lodge doctor says that while he only badly strained his left leg, he's worried that he might have broken his right arm."

"Broken-?" Ran gasped out. "I had no idea! He didn't act like it at all! If I'd known something like that..."

"That's probably why he didn't tell you." Conan said, giving Ran a small smile. For the moment, it would be for the best if she stayed calm. "Don't worry, Kazuha-neechan chewed him out really thoroughly. She was still going when they left in the ambulance! Besides, it's Heiji-niichan we're talking about here. He'll probably bounce back in no time."

Heaving a long sigh, Ran leaned back against the sofa, closing her eyes. There was a long pause before she spoke again, as if she were deeply considering something. "Listen, Conan-kun." She spoke up finally, opening her eyes. "I know that you admire Hattori-kun," she didn't notice the vague face that Conan made at that statement, "...but don't you go imitating what he did today. Really, I have half a mind to lecture him myself! A broken arm on top of everything... _I_ should have been the one to carry _him_!"

The mental image that brought to Conan's mind caused him to audibly snort. Now _that_ would have been a sight.


	23. A Maiden's Admiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thinking back on it, it was probably love at first sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways if I don't occasionally remind everyone that I'm Not Straight by writing really gay fic every once in awhile I'm pretty sure I would shrivel up and die, so here's some completely unprompted and very gay Aoran.

Thinking back on it, it was probably love at first sight.

At the time, she had always thought that it would be an unrequited love, something that would bubble up inside her chest, and eventually pass with time. She wasn't blind- she saw the way that boy- the one who looked _too much_ like Kaito for her tastes- looked at her. And she too, saw the way that she looked at him. There were feelings there, mutual ones, and that alone was enough to tell her that she didn't have a chance.

Nevermind that she didn't feel like she could match up to the likes of Mouri Ran to begin with. She was a cool and graceful karate master, and what was she? Frumpy and childish, something which her own childhood friend seemed to be keen on reminding her of every chance he got. Most of the time it didn't bother her- she didn't mind being a bit childish. But sometimes it got to her more than she was willing to admit.

Not once did she ever think that she would have a chance at this love that was surely budding up in her chest. It wasn't the girl's strength that had her falling head over heels with her, the first time she had seen her in a match- but it was what caught her eye at first. She had gone to support one of her classmates, but before she knew it, she found her eyes trailing over towards one of the competitors, finding herself drawn in by the graceful yet powerful way that she fought.

No, what had her falling in love with her was the kind, supportive smile that spread across her face as she reached a hand down to her fallen opponent once the match was over, telling them with the utmost sincerity that it had been a wonderful match. It was no wonder that she had fallen for her, really- she was almost like a angel.

She kept making up excuses to go and see her matches, even though no one ever asked for them. They went to different schools, lived in different parts of Tokyo- it was only like this that she could see her shine. Once or twice, she passed her on the street- and those moments were blissful, being able to see a glimpse of the one that had ensnared her heart with very little effort when she least expected it.

She didn't discuss these feelings with anyone. Kaito would probably only make fun of her, and Hakuba didn't seem the type you'd discuss something like this with anyways. She sometimes thought about talking it over with Akako, but for some reason, she never did. She was pretty sure Keiko had some suspicions- but she never breached the topic with her either, for some reason. Maybe she thought it would pass sooner if she didn't give voice to it.

Then one day, she noticed it- that boy had stopped showing up at her matches. Sometimes, she would catch her looking for him- a clear look of disappointment in her eyes whenever she didn't find him there. Eventually, she stopped looking altogether, as if she had come to accept the fact that he wouldn't be there. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Had they fought? Or perhaps maybe he had moved far away.

She was in pain- and it hurt Aoko's heart all the same to see her in that state.

She never so much as expected to ever have a chance to speak with her, having long since accepted the fact that she would only ever see her from afar. It was enough. It was more than enough, she told herself, knowing it was a lie from the moment such words left her mouth.

She wasn't suited to her anyways.

Fate, it seemed, had other ideas.

When they crossed paths, it was by pure chance. She had stepped out of the tournament venue to take a phone call from her father- telling her that he'd be coming home late tonight because of another Kid heist. It couldn't be helped, really- that sort of thing always happened. It wasn't as if she felt lonely, or abandoned- it was her father's job, after all, and she supported him with all of her heart.

She never expected to find Mouri Ran there, a towel draped over her shoulders, her hands slightly shaking as she lowered her own cellphone, hanging up on whoever it was that was calling her. It was a complicated expression that she wore on her face- but Aoko didn't miss the clear heartache that was contained within those violet blue eyes.

Something about that expression made Aoko swallow back her fears, speaking up.

"U-um!" Aoko called out, and for a moment, Ran blinked, half uncertain if she was the one being spoken to. When she realized that she was, she turned her way, a slightly apologetic look on her face for being so slow on the uptake. "Y-you know, Aoko's a fan of you, Mouri-san!"

"Eh, is that so?" The soft smile that spread across Ran's face was still tinged with whatever pain the phone call she had just gotten had formed within her heart- but it wasn't a forced expression, even with that. "Thank you. That means quite a lot to me, um..."

"Ah, Aoko is Aoko!" Aoko blurted out, her cheeks tinting red. Oh no! It must have seemed kind of creepy that she knew her name, when Ran didn't know her own. "Nakamori Aoko!"

"Nakamori?" Ran asked, blinking slightly. "Um, forgive me if this is an odd question, but do you have any relationship to Inspector Nakamori? You know, the one from the Kid task force?"

"Ah, yes!" Nodding her head, Aoko's eyes almost lit up, having not expected Ran of all people to pursue a conversation with her on her own. And about her father nonetheless! "He's Aoko's father! Ah, but how do you know dad?"

"My father's a detective." Ran told her with a small smile. "And you know, that boy that they keep calling the Kid Killer these days... we're looking after him at my place, actually. So I've met Inspector Nakamori a few times before."

"Eh, you've met dad?" Aoko blinked, before smiling. To think that they would have had something like that in common- it was a bit unexpected. "So that's how it is. Ah, then, are you going to the Kid heist tonight with that boy?"

"No." Ran said, shaking her head. "Conan-kun only goes to them when he gets invited by Sonoko's- ah, rather, Jirokichi-san in the first place. Tonight he's going camping with some friends, actually. Come to think of it, dad's going to be out tonight as well..." She noted the last part half to herself, as if it was something that she was only just now thinking about.

"Eh, is that so?" Aoko frowned a little, feeling the vague hints of an idea bubble up inside of her. "Actually, Aoko's dad won't be at home tonight either because of the heist, so..." Swallowing a little, she clenched her fists by her side, slowly building up her courage. "W-would you like to get dinner together with Aoko, Mouri-san? Aoko knows a good place near here!"

Ah, what was she asking of someone she had literally just met? Even if they did have something in common, and even if their fathers did know each other, wasn't she being a bit too forward?

In spite of that, Ran smiled. "I would love to, Nakamori-san." She told her, casting that same gentle expression that she had only seen her level at other people before. It was almost more than her heart could take. "Ah, but I have to get back inside before my next match starts... should we meet up here once the tournament is over, then?"

"Ah, yes!" Quickly nodding her head, Aoko couldn't help but suddenly feel that all at once, her world had almost seemed to gain far more color than had been there before. This feeling, she thought, was without a doubt love. "Please do your best, Mouri-san!"

"Just Ran is fine." Ran told her, leveling that soft smile towards her once more, Aoko's heart almost threatening to burst at the sight of it. "Let's get along, Aoko-chan."

With her first name still lingering off of her lips, Ran left Aoko behind, ducking back inside the tournament venue. Slowly, with shaking hands, Aoko lifted a hand to her heart, wondering how the loud pounding of it hadn't given her away- and found a smile blossoming on her own face.

Maybe she had a bit of a chance after all.


	24. A Deck of Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple child's game had no meaning- right?
> 
> (Characters: Conan Edogawa, Ai Haibara, the Detective Boys, Heiji Hattori)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, since my last multi-chapter fic update (Collapse) was pretty depressing, I decided to counter it by writing something light and cheerful and silly! And that ended up with this. After this I have to work on the next chapter of Black Echo though, so I really can't seem to escape depressing fic for very long, can I? Ahahaha~.
> 
> Anyways, here, have a silly oneshot!

"You sure suck at this game, Conan. You got them almost all wrong!"

"Shut up." Grumbling into his hand, Conan leaned his chin into it, shooting Genta something of a dirty look. "Besides, this game is silly. You know it doesn't really mean anything, right?"

"Oh? It sounds a bit to me like Edogawa-kun is upset that his carefully calculated plan to impress the three of you fell to pieces." There was a rather sly expression on Ai's face, one that she barely even attempted to hide, amusement dancing in her eyes. Just as he thought, it had been no accident when Ai had caused the cards to go flying everywhere while shuffling them, ruining his calculated plan to count the cards to give the three actual children in their midst a shock.

"Too bad, Edogawa-kun. That's what you get for cheating." Ai told him, not even trying to mask her smile at this point. She had a feeling that something was up when Conan had elected to go last. Even if they were dealing with something he thought was absurd, like Zener cards, she knew him well enough to know when he was planning something. There was always an unmistakable gleam to his eyes whenever he was, and she knew that she wasn't the only one who had picked up on it.

"You shouldn't cheat, Conan-kun." Mitsuhiko chided him lightly, wagging a finger at him, obviously imitating his mother's habit. "Otherwise the game has no meaning."

"You can't actually determine if someone has psychic abilities from these, you know." Conan remarked dryly, picking up a few of the cards, spreading them out in his hand. Eyes glancing over the various symbols on them, he rolled his eyes, setting them back down on the top of the deck. "Besides, there's no such thing as psychic powers anyways."

"There is!" Ayumi insisted, almost puffing out her cheeks. She had gotten the highest score, and she was rather proud of that. "There definitely is, Conan-kun! Just because it hasn't been proven yet doesn't mean that it's not possible!"

"It's not possible." Conan said frankly. Even if he said that, he had been planning on carefully counting the cards as they appeared, and were shuffled back into the deck- but Ai's actions had ruined that plan. Even if he wouldn't be able to get a perfect match, he'd be able to get pretty close- and he had sort of been wanting to see their reactions, before he revealed his trick to them.

"You're always like this, Conan." Narrowing his eyes at him, Genta picked up the deck of cards, giving them another shuffle. "I think you're just upset because you got the lowest score of us all. Even I did better than you!"

"Shut up. I am not." Grumbling to himself, Conan's brows knitted together, not willing to admit that he was more or less right- if not for the reasons that he thought he was. "Psychic phenomena has been something that people have researched for years, and each and every time, any so called psychics have always turned out to be frauds. That king of thing just isn't possible. Even these cards have been discredited before. They're nothing more than a simple child's game."

"Sometimes you're kind of no fun." Ayumi frowned. "But Ai-chan believes in it, right? Right?"

"A-ah." Blinking slightly, having half not expected to be involved in this conversation, Ai found herself at a bit of a crossroads. In the end, she decided for a rather diplomatic answer, smiling at her friend. "Just because there's no proof doesn't mean it's entirely impossible. There's any number of mysterious phenomena that scientists haven't been able to properly test for yet. It's a bit early to rule them all out."

"I can't believe you're taking their side, Haibara." Conan grumbled, shooting her a look. "Besides, you three weren't even playing the game right. You're supposed to show them to a person one by one until the deck is finished, not make them guess based off an assortment of drawn hands. This isn't Old Maid."

"Ya sure know a lot about it fer someone who doesn't believe in that sort of thing."

"I just happened to read about it one time-" Blinking a little, suddenly realizing that there was no way that voice could have come from any the Detective Boys- and especially not that accent, Conan jolted up, turning his head, coming face to face with none other than the brightly grinning Osakan that was his rival. " _Hattori_!? What are you even doing here!? And seriously, would it _kill you_ to ring the doorbell once?"

"I did." Heiji said, planting his hands on his hips, glancing back towards the door. "Several times even. Didn't ya hear it?"

"Ah, the doorbell's been broken for the past few days, actually." Ai said simply, briefly sparing him a glance. "It stopped producing sound. The Professor keeps saying that he's going to fix it, but he hasn't gotten around to it yet."

"Oh, is that so?" Heiji blinked, folding his arms in front of him. "Well, that would explain it. Anyways, since no one was comin' ta the door, an' since it was unlocked, I let myself in. Ya got a problem with that, _Conan-kun_?"

"Yes." Came Conan's rather blunt reply, heaving a long sigh, before turning to look back at the other four. "Rather, since you're sitting facing the door, the four of you must have known he was sneaking up on me. Why didn't you say something?"

"Because it was amusing." Genta said frankly. "Oh, that's right, Osaka-niichan, since you're here, do you want to try this game too?" He asked, holding up the deck of cards.

"Oh, Zener cards, huh?" Heiji asked, tilting his head to the side, a wide grin crossing his face. "Sure. Kazuha actually used ta be interested in these around our first year of middle school. It's kind of nostalgic."

"Well, I suppose since Hattori-kun only just got here, there's no way for him to try and cheat, unlike _a certain someone_." Just in case he somehow missed that her barbed remark was directed towards him, Ai turned in Conan's direction, sending him a rather chilling smile.

"What, did this kid try somethin'? Ya can't do that, Conan-kun. Think about what kind of impression yer settin' fer yer little friends." Heiji told him, grinning from ear to ear, practically every word coming out of his mouth meant to tease. Taking the seat next to him, Heiji turned his attention back towards the Detective Boys. "Okay, I'm ready when the three of ya are!"

"Well, you'll probably do better than Conan-kun ended up doing anyways." Mitsuhiko observed, taking the deck of cards from Genta, and giving them one more good shuffle for good measure. "By the way, I was in third place after Ayumi-chan and Haibara-san."

"I was fourth!" Genta cheerfully reported.

"Oh, so this mean this kid ranked dead last, then?" Heiji asked, grinning down at him, reaching over a hand to rather aggressively rub his hair. "Yer slackin' there, Conan-kun! Are ya sure ya really have what it takes ta be my disciple?"

"Shut up, idiot." Conan grumbled, turning to face Mitsuhiko. "Get started on the test already, and get this guy out of my hair." _Literally_ , he might add. What did Heiji think he was anyways, a dog?

"Then, I'm starting." Clearing his throat, Mitsuhiko reached for the desk, briefly recalling Conan's earlier words, and settled for drawing only one card, making sure that Heiji couldn't see anything but the back. "What card is this?"

"A star, right?" Heiji asked, tilting his head slightly, grin quickly resurfacing at Mitsuhiko's bewildered look, as he placed it face side up, drawing the next card. "An' that one's a cross. Or a plus sign, if ya'd rather." He told him, watching as he set it once again face side up, revealing the cross, placing it on top of the star. "That one's waves, isn't it?"

Twenty two more cards later, and there was a deep silence that filled the room. Reaching out across the table, Ai spread out the cards once more, still face up, mentally recalling the order in which they had been given earlier, and let out a low whistle. "It would appear that we have a new number one. Congratulations, Hattori-kun."

"That was amazing, Osaka-niichan!" Genta exclaimed. "You got them all right!"

"Even Ayumi only got half of them right!" Ayumi said, only slightly upset that her record had been shattered. Really she was more impressed than anything.

"Are you sure he didn't cheat, like Conan-kun was planning on doing?" Mitsuhiko couldn't help but ask, casting a skeptical glance towards him.

"Of course I didn't. I only just got here ya know." Heiji said lightly, waving a dismissive hand, before rising to his feet. "Anyways, Ku- Conan-kun, we're supposed ta meet up with the girls in front of that cafe under the agency. Actually, we were supposed ta do it about twenty minutes ago, now that I'm thinkin' about it. They're probably startin' ta get mad."

"Well, mostly at you, though." Conan couldn't help but quip, getting to his feet. "Well then, I guess I've got to go, everyone. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"O-oh, right." Slowly blinking, Mitsuhiko nodded his head, carefully glancing back down at the cards, and then back up towards Heiji again. With the Osakan detective himself acting like it was no big deal, maybe it really wasn't, but...

If he hadn't cheated, exactly how had he got them all right?

"Seriously though, Hattori." Conan spoke up once they left the Professor's place, tucking his hands in his pockets, casting a skeptical look up towards him. "How the hell did you manage to get them all right?"

"Just lucky, I guess." Heiji told him, a quick grin surfacing on his face. "Well, I kept doin' the same thing back in middle school with Kazuha until she got sick of them. She would always get mad at me, an' accuse me of cheatin'."

"A-ah, I see." Conan said simply, letting out a slightly nervous laugh. As far as he knew, once the necessary corrections were put in place to make the test legitimate as an experiment, no high scoring results had ever been produced from the Zener cards- at least, none that had been recorded. Someone getting all twenty-five cards right was completely unheard of.

Oi, oi, it couldn't be...?

No, no. There was no way. There was no possible way, none at all- such things didn't exist, after all.

There was _absolutely no way_ that _Hattori Heiji_ was psychic.


	25. Like a Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a moment that none of them would ever forget, even though one of them wanted to.
> 
> (Characters: Kudo Shinichi, Mouri Ran, Kudo Yukiko)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I am back from my vacation to the mountains! Not quite feeling right up to diving back into a multi-chapter update just yet, but have a cute and silly Shinran oneshot that I wrote for the time being!
> 
> Until next time!

"What are you doing up there, Shinichi?"

_Geh_. Of all the people that he didn't want to find him in this situation, Ran had to be at the top of the list. For a brief moment, he was half tempted to try and trick her into believing that she had the wrong person, but there was no way that would work. His childhood friend, mistake him for someone else? No way that was going to ever happen.

Slowly glancing down at her, Shinichi gave Ran what he hoped was a rather casual, easy look, letting out a rather loud laugh. If he acted like it was no big deal, maybe she wouldn't find it funny. After all, who ever heard of a middle school student getting stuck in a tree? "Ah well, you see, I was searching for the Yamada's cat since it went missing this morning, and I found it up in this tree."

"I don't see a cat, Shinichi." Ran stated frankly, surveying her surroundings. There was no trace of the white and gray cat that she knew the elderly Yamada couple owned. After a moment, thoughts clicked together in her mind, and in spite of herself, she couldn't help but let a hint of amusement show on her face. "Don't tell me... you went up there to bring it down, and it ran away from you?"

"W-well, something like that." Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, eyes darting away from her, Shinichi couldn't help but internally grumble. This was exactly why he didn't want Ran to see him like this. She might not be the worst possible person at the end of the day- that would be either his mother or Sonoko, who would spread the news like wildfire, but still... he somehow couldn't take that expression on Ran's face.

"And don't tell me the reason that you're still up in that tree is because you don't know how to get back down?" Ran asked, peering up at her childhood friend, deciding that she was very much enjoying this moment- anything to wipe off that sometimes too smug expression off his face. He had been getting something of an ego lately, so having things like this happen to him every once in awhile to keep it in check was for the best.

"...there might be a small chance of that." Shinichi muttered, just loud enough so that she could hear him from the ground. "I know how to get back down just fine, though! It's just that this branch isn't as sturdy as I thought it was when I came out on it, and I'm afraid if I make the wrong move, it'll break."

"Well that would be bad." Ran was willing to acknowledge, nodding her head, before walking a bit underneath him, peering up into the tree, pursing her lips together in thought. She couldn't exactly just leave him up there, as amusing as it was. What if it did break, and he got himself hurt?

"Anyways, do you think you could get a ladder or something from the Professor's house? I know he should have one." Shinichi called down to her, frowning a little when he took notice of that twinkle in her eyes that he knew she got whenever she had an idea. "What is it, Ran? You're thinking about something, aren't you?"

"I was thinking I could catch you if you jumped." Ran stated plainly, spreading out her arms, a rather expectant look on her face. "Come on, come on."

"I'm _not_ jumping into your arms, Ran." Casting a rather annoyed glance down towards her, Shinichi narrowed his eyes. "Just go get the ladder from the Professor's place."

"That's three blocks away, Shinichi. What if the branch breaks before I come back?" Ran asked, tilting her head to the side, before shifting her arms in the air, indicating for him to come on and jump already. "It won't be that much of a problem to catch you anyways. You're not exactly heavy."

"Isn't it just that you're freakishly strong?" Shinichi couldn't help but ask. As the expectant look on Ran's face didn't change, he could only heave a long sigh, sensing that this wasn't a fight that he was going to win. "Fine, fine. I'll jump, I'll jump."

"That's the spirit!" Nodding her head, Ran continued to beam, holding her position underneath him. "Then, I'm ready whenever you are, Shinichi! I promise to catch you perfectly, so you don't have to worry about a thing!"

Muttering underneath his breath about how this should have been the other way around, Shinichi carefully looked down towards Ran, gauging his distance from her. After glancing around the area and making sure that there was nobody around to witness this, he finally shifted his weight, all but leaping down from the branch that he had been stuck on for a little longer than he cared to admit.

Right into Ran's arms. With a bright smile, she caught him almost effortlessly, not even quite realizing the style that she had caught him in would have been fancifully described by Sonoko as 'princess style'. Shinichi, on the other hand, _did_ , and couldn't help but feel his cheeks heat up as Ran didn't put him down right away. "There, you see? No problem at all!"

"I got it already, just put me down before someone sees!" Shinichi grumbled, feeling his cheeks tinting a bright red color.

"It's fine, there's nobody else here." Ran told him, blinking a little, wondering what he could be so flustered by. Was it really that embarrassing to be caught by a girl? Honestly, when was he going to learn that there was no shame in something like that? That was another bad trait of his, she thought to herself.

"Just put me down already, Ran-!"

"Oh my, oh my~!" As if she were unable to contain herself for even a moment longer, the one who had been watching this go down in secret finally revealed herself. Shinichi felt his heart clench into his chest, the fact that Ran was already setting him down on his feet a cold consolation against the fact that out of all the possible people who could have witnessed such a thing, it had to have been his _mother_.

And what was worse, was the fact that she was clearly _filming_ the entire thing.

"You certainly have a way with the ladies, Shin-chan~!" Yukiko brightly teased, her smile growing ever the wider as her son shot her what he probably hoped was a fearsome glower. It was to no avail, of course- everything Shinichi did was cute to her, even if he was giving her the dirtiest look that he knew how!

It was worth it to conceal herself the moment she realized what was happening. To think that she had gotten such a wonderful shot as her son leaping into the arms of his childhood friend, for a time being carried as if he were a princess by her- what a fantastic day today was!

For her, at least.


	26. Clockwork Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes one can find friendship in the most unusual of places. (AU)
> 
> Characters: Yoshida Ayumi, Agasa Hiroshi, Haibara Ai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now it's time for a oneshot AU, one with a bit of a sci-fi flavor to it! I feel like there's definitely plenty of story left untold here, but when I went into this, I wanted to keep the focus tight on those three characters. Perhaps I'll consider revisiting it in the future, though not for awhile yet, ahahaha~.

It all started, as most things of such nature do, with a dare.

Truth be told, Ayumi wasn't exactly _scared_ of the rundown looking mansion. That nice older girl from that detective agency near her house had already reassured her that it wasn't haunted, and if it was her, she knew to put faith in her words. But if there was one thing that she didn't care for, it was being told that she wouldn't be able to do something, so when the dare had been cast out, she had quickly accepted it. Perhaps if Genta or Mitsuhiko had been there that day, instead of out sick with a cold, they would have agreed to come with her- but she wasn't afraid about setting out on her own either!

Besides, it might be fun. Sometimes there were interesting things hidden in places like that! There might even be some kind of hidden treasure, if she looked hard enough. So with a backpack ready for anything that she found, and a flashlight in hand, Ayumi departed on her mission, determined to go into the abandoned mansion in the middle of the forest, and return with proof of her trip there. 

She'd expected to find something along the lines of an old photograph, or maybe even a photo album- but what she ended up finding instead was something that _definitely_ couldn't be fit in her backpack. When she had found the hidden door, though she had been a bit nervous, her curiosity had compelled her forward- but what she found there definitely was far beyond anything she could have imagined.

There had been a moment, a very brief moment, in which she thought she had found a corpse. It took her just as many seconds as it took her to reach for her phone, unsure if she was trying to call the police or that high school detective who lived in her neighborhood, to realize that however human-like what she had found appeared to be, it was not, in fact, an actual human, living or otherwise. Letting out a long breath of relief, Ayumi placed a hand over her heart, tucking her phone back away.

Taking a few steps forward, chancing a closer look at what she was slowly coming to understand was nothing more than a life size doll of some sorts, Ayumi shined her flashlight on it. With short reddish brown hair, ball joints, and surprisingly delicate features, it was covered in a fine layer of dust- it probably hadn't been moved from this place since it was abandoned. Maybe this doll was the reason that everyone thought this place was haunted, she wondered, creeping forward a few more steps until she was standing in front of it.

When she looked at it closely, it wasn't scary at all. If anything, it was a bit sad. To think that someone would leave something like this behind- it surely must have been loved and cared for at one point. Worn with time thought they might be, the rather fancy dress that she had been clothed in appeared to have been hand sewn, and with quite a bit of attention to detail at that.

She was pretty, really. Were she to somehow smile, she would probably be even prettier.

Reaching a hand out to softly touch the doll's cheeks, hoping to perhaps clear away some of the dust, Ayumi pursed her lips together. As sorry as she felt for the poor doll, there was no way that she would be able to move her by herself. Even if she were to recruit Mitsuhiko and Genta to help her, she wondered if they would really be able to move the doll safely. It was more or less around her size, that of a child- but she had no idea how much it weighed. It would be terrible if they moved it carelessly, and the doll wound up broken as a result!

"I don't think I can bring you home with me by myself, but maybe I can clean you up a little, at least." Ayumi found herself apologizing without quite knowing the reason why, even though she knew she was only speaking to herself.

She didn't entirely expect the doll to respond to her, of course- it was only just a doll. It wasn't like the helper robot that the Hoshikawa family down the hall had, or even the more humanoid one the Satsuki family had, nor was it anything like the high tech robots that she had seen on her last class trip. As far as she knew, this house had been standing empty for ages, long before such things as humanoid robots had been invented in the first place. Though it had been a long time ago, before even her mother was born, she was confident that this house had stood here for much longer than that.

The Professor had showed her pictures of some of the older models before, pictures that his own grandfather had taken. They looked nothing like this one, with delicate, human-like features, who looked as if she could begin moving any second. Even if she were a robot, she doubted that she would still be able to work after this long.

That was why, when the doll's eyes fluttered slightly at her touch, Ayumi didn't expect it at all. Snatching her hand back, she took a step backwards, letting out a slight yelp as she tripped over some unseen obstacle. Hacking loudly at the cloud of dust that she stirred up, she sniffed, her eyes slowly trailing back up towards the doll. Even in the dust filled air, that made her want to cover her mouth tightly with her hand, to prevent her from breathing in anymore, she found her mouth hanging slightly agape, half wondering if she was imagining things.

She was pretty certain the doll's eyes had been closed just a second ago. Now they were wide open, eyes of a soft blue color that almost seemed fixed on her. And yet, for some reason, Ayumi didn't seem frightened by this development- there was something there, she couldn't help but think to herself, in the doll's eyes. Something that wasn't scary at all.

Just sad. Lonely, even.

Perhaps she was just imprinting her own feelings on the doll- or what she thought it should feel, after being abandoned for so long. Slowly rising back to her feet, she tilted her head, waving a hand in front of it's face, to see if it would react to it. When it didn't show any signs of moving again, Ayumi frowned, wondering if perhaps it had been some kind of fluke.

Maybe she should show her to the Professor?

"Um," Ayumi spoke up, taking just a moment to try and brush some of the dust off the back of her dress. "Are you alive?"

There was no response, her own words hanging in empty air. Frowning, Ayumi once again carefully reached out a hand, gently placing it on one of the doll's cheeks. When this earned her no response, she withdrew her hand, her frown only growing deeper. For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had discovered something very mysterious indeed.

And more than ever, she was very, very interested in it.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"Well, well, this is quite the find indeed, Ayumi-kun."

Carefully making his way through the secret room that Ayumi had lead him to, a pleading look in her eyes as she begged him to follow her, that there was something that she wanted him to see, Agasa Hiroshi coughed a little as he stirred up some dust in doing so. Ayumi hadn't been inclined to tell him what it was that she wanted to show him so badly, only that she couldn't move it herself, and thought that he might know something about it. He was more than willing to go along with her, hardly the type to refuse an earnest request from someone that wanted his help.

"You know what she is, Professor?" Ayumi asked, peering out from behind him. "Ah, her eyes are closed again."

"Well, of course I know what this is." Agasa remarked, carefully reaching out a hand, taking great care as he peered down at the would-be doll's face. He didn't know what kind of state she was in, so the most gentle touch was required. All things considered, she looked to be in remarkably good condition- he had never seen an example of this sort of thing so well preserved before.

In the first place, not many of them were even made to begin with- so what was one doing here, having been long abandoned like this? The fact that the model was based off of a child's appearance raised some questions for him as well- but even so, he still knew at once what it was that Ayumi had discovered.

"You say her eyes were open before?" Agasa observed, frowning as he stood back up straight, placing a hand on his chin in thought. "I wonder if she might still be able to operate..."

"Operate?" Ayumi asked, glancing up at him. "Then, Professor, is she really a robot?"

"That's right." Agasa told her, setting down the flashlight that he had brought with him, propping it on the floor so that it illuminated their surroundings. As if taking a cue from him, Ayumi did very much the same with her own. "She's a rather rare model at that. One of the first humanoid models to be produced, in fact, around my grandfather's time. Well, given the time that they were made, there was quite a bit of opposition to that sort of thing, and in the end, only around twenty or so ever came off the assembly line, I believe. Although I don't remember any of them being designed to look like children..."

"Then, that's why her eyes opened!" Ayumi said, her eyes almost sparkling at this turn of events. If this doll- if this girl really was a robot, then maybe the Professor could get her working again. Though she didn't know exactly why, she couldn't help but be interested in this- there were so many things that she wanted to ask! "Do you really think she might be able to still move, Professor?"

"I can't say for certain until I examine her more in depth, but if her eyes really did open and close on their own, it's not impossible." Agasa noted. "Her parts are probably all quite old, but this model was rather well made, so it's possible that I might be able to restore her to proper working order with some time, if that's what you want, Ayumi-kun."

"Yeah!" Ayumi nodded her head, her eyes shining bright. "Please, can't you, Professor? I feel so bad for her, being left alone in a place like this!"

"That's true. It does seem pretty lonely here." Agasa observed, beaming down at the girl by his feet, lightly patting her head. Taking pity on an old robot- she really was a good child, this one. Too many people these days treated such things carelessly, he thought. "I'll see what I can do. For the moment, let's see if we can't move her to my car. If I'm really going to stand a chance to repair her, it would be better if we moved her to my lab, and out of this depressing place."

"Okay!" Turning towards the robot-doll, a bright smile crossing her face, Ayumi carefully took one of it's hands in her own. "Did you hear that? Isn't that great news?"

"I hope we can be friends when you wake up!"  
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Every day, as soon as school let out, Ayumi made her way over towards the Professor's house. Every day, as she hurried inside, she always had the same questions on her lips- have you fixed her yet? Can I talk to her yet?

Each day, at first, the answer to both questions was simply no. But as time passed, the answer changed, and it was an answer that filled her to the brim with anticipation- soon. She would be fixed soon. She would be able to talk to her soon. Every day, he spent his days sorting through boxes of old parts, pulled from junkyards across the country, searching for the right fit, or for something that would do just fine as a replacement, searching for the thing that she needed on this day, upgrading her where he safely could, without risking damage to her overall programming.

Some parts he had to scrap and replace entirely- and some were easier to do than others. Replacing her face plate with something that would allow for far more movement had been rather easy, but the delicate operation of replacing her dried out and gritty hair had been far more painstaking work. Her left knee joint was completely twisted out of place and worn down, something which he hadn't noticed until he had brought her here- replacing that too, had also been an early priority. The further he dug, the more he was able to determine what seemed to still work, what needed to be repaired, and what needed to be replaced. Even the finer details couldn't be ignored- if one thing was out of sorts, the whole thing might very well not work.

She was a challenge, but one that he was willing to take on. As he carefully repaired her, piece by piece, bit by bit, he couldn't help but grow a bit attached to her in his own right, sometimes reminded all too vividly of the fact that life had not cast him a hand in which he was ever going to have his own children, nevermind _grandchildren_. Ayumi and her friends filled a bit of that void, whenever they came over to test out one of his new games, or one of his new inventions- but there was still a gap there, a piece missing.

So too, did he begin to wonder about her circumstances. Why had she been made? Just as he thought, when he went digging for information on her model line, there had been no child units ever produced- only adult sized ones. Who, then, had made her? In the first place, it wasn't as if there was very much information left about the one who had created this model- after the failure of their product, they had seemingly faded into obscurity, never to be heard from again. Had they been responsible for this model as well, or had it been someone else? And how had she ended up in that place? It troubled him, and troubled him to the point where he went knocking next door, exchanging a few words with his rather reliable young neighbor, who gave him a promise in turn to look into the matter himself.

From the spark in his eye, he knew that it had caught his interest as well.

And then, one day, as Ayumi burst into his house, excitement written on her features as it was every day, unfailingly, the answer changed again. Turning to her with a soft smile, a pleased expression on his face, Agasa merely nodded his head as she asked the question he had come to know by heart now. "Yes. If everything goes well, then the answer to your question is finally yes, Ayumi-kun."

" _Really?!_ " Barely able to contain her excitement, Ayumi all but raced past him, making her way downstairs, to where she knew the robot was being kept. Since she had been taken away from that secret room, she had been properly cleaned up, no longer covered in dust, that alone making her seem a little less lonely. "Soon, Professor?"

"Right now, in fact. I was just waiting for you to come over, Ayumi-kun." Agasa told her. Replacing the power source had been the most tricky part of all- with the old one that she had been previously running off of, she would have barely even had thirty minutes of active time, not nearly enough, he thought. It had taken quite a bit of time for him to bypass her old power source, creating a new one that would let her operate continuously, so long as she stopped to recharge every now and again. "Let's see if we can't manage to boot her up."

That was the tricky part, of course. Although he had examined it as best as he could, he hadn't altered her core programming very much. He couldn't guarantee that even if he _could_ power her on, that she would come back online, in the way she would have in the past- if there was damage to what made up her electronic brain, he didn't know if he could manage to fix it himself. It was more complex than anything that he had ever seen before- he was almost willing to call it a proper AI.

To think that something like that could be found in such an old robot... it was almost unthinkable. Even now, in this modern age, such things were banned- though it was true that there were some very advanced robots on the market now, none of them had anything that could be called a true AI. If his hunch was correct, and people found out that she existed, he could only imagine that it wouldn't end well- especially given her humanoid and childlike appearance. It was part of why he had been very cautious in instructing Ayumi to keep the robot's existence a secret.

It wasn't something that he needed to tell Shinichi. He already understood.

Taking in and letting out a deep breath, Agasa carefully propped up his computer on the desk next to her, connecting it to the robot girl. He had found no way to activate her directly while working on her, and wondered if such a thing had been removed before she had been abandoned. He would have to go a bit of a roundabout route, but once he got her online- _if_ he could successfully do that, she would be able to stay online- or so he hoped.

"Here we go."

For a moment, there was nothing. No reaction at all, not even the faintest fluttering of the robot girl's eyes, nor the smallest twitch of her finger. For a moment, both people held their breath, wondering if it hadn't worked after all, if such a thing really was impossible.

And then, finally, the robot-doll opened it's eyes, her fingers twitching. When she opened her mouth, her voice coming out, the pair that had been waiting for this moment for quite some time now exchanged an excited glance between them.

"Where am I?" The robot girl spoke, slowly seeming to take in her surroundings. As her gaze shifted, and she glanced between Agasa and Ayumi, the faintest of frowns made it's way onto her face. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yoshida Ayumi!" Ayumi introduced herself, beaming brightly up at the girl. "And this is Professor Agasa Hiroshi! You're in his house right now. The two of us found you, and he's been working hard to repair you all this time." She told her, taking a small step forward. "Hey, do you have a name yourself?"

"A name?" The robot girl slowly blinked, for a moment taking back by the near barrage of words, her brows furrowing in thought. As she searched her memory banks for such information, she found them almost entirely blank- a distressing development in it's own right, as she couldn't shake the feeling that there should be something there. Quite a bit, indeed.

She couldn't recall anything. What was she doing here? What was this place, and who were these people? For that matter, what exactly was she? She seemed to faintly understand that she was a robot of some kind, being able to gather that much from the wires coming out of her body, from the ball joints of her fingers and wrists, but beyond that, she knew nothing else about herself. Only that this fact troubled her greatly, which in and of itself, she couldn't help but feel was odd.

Still, she _did_ seem to find a name.

"Ai." She told the two of them after a moment, somehow sensing something in their eyes that told her not to fear. There were many questions that she wanted answers to, but something told her that neither of these people had any intention of harming her. "I'm Ai."  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ai-chan! Over here, over here!" With a wave of her hand and an equally bright smile, Ayumi almost bounced on her heels, patting the seat next to her. "You can sit next to me!"

"You're always hogging Haibara to yourself, Ayumi." Genta couldn't help but grumble, turning around to peer at the seat behind him, watching as the recent transfer student took a seat next to Ayumi on the bus. "It's no fair!"

"You and Mitsuhiko-kun were already sitting together, Genta-kun, so it can't be helped!" Ayumi pointed out, shifting over a tad so that Ai could slide into the seat next to her without any problems. "Besides, it's up to Ai-chan to pick where to sit in the first place. Isn't that right?"

"That's right." With a rather curt nod of her head, Ai glanced up at the pair of boys. Well, it wouldn't do if they started to fight over her. The last thing that she wanted to do was to be a thorn in their pre-existing friendship- or to draw untold attention towards herself. "If you're that upset about it though, Kojima-kun, then I'll sit next to you on the ride back, alright?"

She had come no closer to obtaining answers about herself. Enrolling in elementary school for a time had been the Professor's idea- naturally, she had been against it. Concealing her true identity had been as simple as explaining away her unusual joints with prosthetics- after that, nobody asked any further questions. As as easy as that was, she still don't understand the idea herself in the least. However human-like she was, enrolling a robot in school alongside humans was something that was unheard of- and she was pretty certain that they Professor would get in a good deal of trouble if the truth were to come out about her. Still, he had been insistent, apparently under the impression that perhaps interacting normally with humans might naturally unlock the key to her memory.

She didn't believe such a thing was true. She wasn't a human, after all, the memories that she had lost weren't going to come back. They had most likely been deleted, wiped from her mind when she was abandoned in the first place. The fact that the Professor had taken the time and care to repair her in the first place was already more than enough for her, really. She didn't need anything else, however undeniably curious about herself as she was. That curiosity in and of itself was curious- the other robots that she had met since waking up were nothing like her at all, even though at least a hundred years separated them, she knew that wasn't the reason why.

She knew that the Professor had people looking into the matter- she had met them once or twice. High school detectives, they had called themselves, though the two boys that she had met couldn't have been more different from each other. The only thing the seemed to share between them was a powerful desire to unravel the truth. Kudo Shinichi was usually the more composed of the two, but in the end, he was very much just a teenage boy- she'd been able to judge that much from the way he had flustered when a certain girl had been brought up. Hattori Heiji, in comparison, was as hot as fire, and didn't seem the least bit bothered being dragged into a case by the one he had casually referred to as his rival.

Neither of them even so much as blinked at her. Shinichi had merely shrugged his shoulders and told her that frankly, she _wasn't_ the strangest thing that he had ever seen come out of the Professor's place, not by a long shot. Heiji had simply beamed brightly, patting his own shoulder, joking far too easily about how he was probably closer being like her than he was to Kudo anyways, ever since that incident. There was a look of guilt that had surfaced in Shinichi's eyes then, she noticed- there was a story there, untold as of yet.

"Then it's a promise, Haibara!" Grinning widely down at her, Genta's words roused her out of her own thoughts. "But you know, compared to the last field trip we took, going to a farm somehow seems less cool."

"But Ayumi is looking forward to it!" Ayumi piped up, a bright smile on her face. "They said that if we're careful, they'll let us help feed the baby goats! Doesn't that sound exciting?"

"Well, in that case, I don't think Genta-kun is going to have much of a chance." Mitsuhiko couldn't help but quip, a little more upset than he was letting on that he was going to be the only one of them who wasn't going to have a chance to sit next to Ai on the bus. "But I'm certain that both Haibara-san and Ayumi-chan will be able to."

"Me too?" Ai blinked. "I don't know about that..." Trailing off a little, a slight frown crossed her face. Ayumi had ended up telling both of her friends the truth- she had already told them about her when she wasn't yet active, so it couldn't be helped, really. They had taken to the secret with a childish enthusiasm, vowing that not a word of it would leave their lips. "After all, I'm..."

"It'll be fine, Ai-chan!" Ayumi was quick to reassure her. She might only be a child, but even she could tell when someone was worried about something. And while it was true she couldn't quite understand the rather complex things that she found the Professor and his neighbor, that detective boy, talking about sometimes, even she knew that the most important thing of all was the fact that Ai was Ai. In the month that she had been turned back on, she had become rather close to her, forging a close bond of friendship with her. "After all, you're a nice person. I'm certain the baby goats will love you!"

Human or robot, such a thing didn't really matter to her. Ai was already her precious friend, after all!

"Ayumi-chan's right!" Mitsuhiko said, nodding his head. "It'll be fun, Haibara-san!"

"I suppose you're right." Ai said after a moment, giving them a faint smile. "Thank you."

Well, as much as she didn't understand the Professor's idea, there was some small part of her that felt like she was starting to. Perhaps it wasn't about her memories at all- perhaps he just wanted her to have a chance to socialize with children who looked around her age, even if she knew that she wasn't. Perhaps he wanted her to live something of a normal life, seeing something within her that she was rapidly coming to understand about herself- that she felt in the same way that others did.

And some part of her, some part that perhaps had been lonely for all of those years, sitting in that abandoned mansion by herself, seemed to desire friendship. Something which she had found in spades where she was right now- and something that she wouldn't trade for the world. Whatever her past was, whatever she herself was- it didn't change the present fact that right now, at this current moment, she was Haibara Ai.

A slightly odd transfer student, who had already found herself three close friends here. And the relative of Agasa Hiroshi, who had come to live with him.

That was Haibara Ai. That was what was important.


	27. Summer Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Conan later came down with a summer cold of his own, he knew exactly who to blame.
> 
> Characters: Kazuha Toyama, Ran Mouri, Conan Edogawa, Heiji Hattori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: You can tell by the title of this oneshot that it's been something I've been planning to get around to writing ever since, ah, well, summer. Anyways, time for another silly oneshot, because I live for them, and am currently not feeling up to working on any of my mutli-chapter series very seriously at the moment. Fear not, it's just a case of the holiday blues, so I should be back to normal tomorrow!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and until next time!

"Sorry, ya two. Ya came out all this way ta see us, an' Heiji's down with a cold." Kazuha's apologetic tone perfectly matched with her words, as she set down a cup of tea in front of each of Heiji's would-be guests. "If he'd only told me the two of ya were comin' earlier, I could have called ya an' let ya know that he was sick, so ya wouldn't have wasted so much time waitin' in front of his place."

"It's alright, Kazuha-chan." Ran said quickly, flashing a smile at her friend, trying to let her know that she wasn't bothered by it at all. While she had been a little worried when nobody had come to pick them up at the station, and Heiji wouldn't answer his phone, it wasn't as if it were her fault. She would have called Kazuha, but... "It was Hattori-kun who wanted to keep our visit here a surprise for you. I'm sure he wasn't expecting to get sick at the last minute. More importantly, is he really going be alright?"

"Yeah, he should be fine." Kazuha said, nodding her head. "He's just restin' now."

"I'm surprised, though. I always thought Heiji-niichan was a bit sturdier." Conan couldn't help but observe, frowning a little into his cup of tea. Though he had tried to mask it, when they had gotten here to find that nobody was answering the door, for a moment, he had feared the worst. Granted, he hadn't involved Heiji with _them_ lately at all, but it was possible that they might have realized that he held some information about the supposedly dead Kudo Shinichi, and had captured him, or something along those lines.

If Kazuha hadn't come around when she had and explained things, he didn't know what he would have ended up doing. It had been a great relief to hear that his friend was simply under the weather, rather than in danger somewhere, and that the only reason no one was answering the door was because both of his parents were currently away on a trip.

"He's been this way ever since he was a kid, actually." Kazuha said, heaving a long sigh. Clearly this was an issue where she had more experience than she wished she did. "Generally, it's pretty rare fer him ta get sick in the first place, but when he does catch somethin', it always hits him way harder than other people. He's completely hopeless durin' such times. He probably forgot the two of ya were supposed ta come over today... I'm not even sure if he knows it's _today_ yet."

"That's why you came over to check on him?" Ran asked, giving her friend a small smile, not missing the faint red tint that rose to her cheeks. "That's admirable, Kazuha-chan."

"W-well, it can't be helped. His parents are out, so it's not like Auntie Shizuka can look after him right now. Besides, if I called them an' told 'em Heiji was sick, she'd just come racin' back from the vacation that she's been lookin' forward ta fer so long just ta take care of them." Kazuha told her, folding her arms in front of her chest, shaking her head. "I can't have somethin' like that, ya know?"

"In other words, I just have ta put up with lookin' after him fer the time bein'." Kazuha finished, giving them a rather resolute nod of her head. "Well, I am somethin' of an older sister ta him, so it can't be helped, really! I guess I can spare some time ta look after that bothersome guy."

"I bet you're thinking of taking care of him as something other than that though, Kazuha-chan~." Ran couldn't help but tease, the mischief that twinkled in her eyes shining brighter at the flustered reaction her words earned. She was starting to understand why Sonoko enjoyed teasing her about Shinichi so much.

"W-well, there might be a bit of that..." Kazuha mumbled, fiddling with the fabric of her skirt, before she quickly turned towards Conan, deciding to change the topic for the sake of her pounding heart. "H-hey, Conan-kun! Why don't ya go wake Heiji up an' drag him out there? Knowin' that idiot, he probably hasn't eatin' anythin' yet today, an' it's just around lunch time."

"Ah, sure thing, Kazuha-neechan." Conan told her, rising to his feet, the faintest of frowns on his face. There was something in her gaze that he didn't quite like... although he couldn't pin down the reason why. Well, it probably wasn't anything serious, so he wouldn't worry too much about it. "I'll go do that."

"Thanks, Conan-kun." Kazuha told him, letting out a slight sigh of relief once he disappeared into the hallway. Well, that was _one_ hurdle cleared, at the very least. She could only hope that Conan would forgive her later. He always seemed to be a bit of the type to hold grudges- that was a trait that Ran should really try to work out of the kid while she was looking after him.

"But I'm surprised." Ran blinked, frowning a little as she watched Conan go. "You didn't want to wake up Hattori-kun by yourself, Kazuha-chan?"

"Ah, about that..." Kazuha trailed off a little, giving her a small laugh. "When he's sick, Heiji's got this nasty little habit of..." At the sound of Conan's voice letting out a rather surprised yelp of protest from down the hall, she could only heave a long sigh. "...An' there he goes."

"Nasty habit...?" Ran trailed off a little, blinking in confusion for a moment, before Conan's cry of protest echoed down the hallway. Almost springing to her feet, for a moment, she couldn't help but be afraid that something terrible had happened- it was only Kazuha's lack of reaction that stopped her from outright sprinting down the hall to see what was wrong. "Um, Kazuha-chan...?"

"Well, you'll understand what I mean when ya see it, Ran-chan." Kazuha simply told her, flashing her friend something of a weak smile, as she got to her feet. Leading her down the hallway to Heiji's room, she found herself heaving another long sigh as she realized that her guess was right on the mark- honestly, as much as she enjoyed being close to Heiji, this was exactly why she didn't like trying to wake him up when he was sick.

"...ah." Ran said simply, her eyes falling on the scene before her. "I think I understand what you mean by nasty habit now."

"Right? It's always like this. I thought it would be a bit different if I sent Conan-kun ta do it, but I guess I was wrong." Kazuha told her, quickly stepping into the room, planting her hands on her hips. "C'mon, Heiji! Wake up already! An' let go of Conan-kun, he's not a stuffed animal, fer cryin' out loud! How can ya sleep through all of that squirmin' he's doin' anyways?"

"You _knew_ this would happen, didn't you, Kazuha-neechan?" Conan found himself asking, somehow managing to maintain some degree of composure in spite of the very undignified position he now found himself in. There were few things more embarrassing than being dragged by your rival into a cuddling position, as if he had mistaken you for a pillow. For once, he didn't feel like keeping up the act of a real child- he was annoyed, and the one who had knowingly lead him into this situation deserved to know it. "You meanie."

"Sorry, Conan-kun. I thought maybe if it was someone different fer once, he wouldn't do this." Kazuha apologized, crouching down by her childhood friend's bed, reaching out to tug on his cheek. "C'mon, Heiji, wake up already!"

"And let go of me already!" Conan protested, once again squirming against his friend's grip on him, but it was in vain, for his arm remained firmly in place around his waist. For someone who was sick, he was sure holding on to him well! "Seriously, Heiji-niichan, I'm not a pillow! What are you going to do if I catch your cold?"

"Mm..." Faintly stirring at all of the noise going on around him, Heiji slowly blinked his eyes open, turning his head so that he could glance up towards Kazuha. "...'zuha?"

"Yes, yes, it's me. I came ta look after ya, Heiji, an' found Ran-chan an' Conan-kun waitin' in front of yer doorstep." Kazuha told him, folding her arms over her knees, a rather displeased expression on her face. Well, maybe with one of his arms occupied with Conan, he wouldn't try and pull her towards him as well. The last time she had let something like that happen to her, she had been stuck in that position for an hour, until he finally woke up again.

"...Neechan an' Kudo?" Heiji blinked slowly, apparently only now taking notice of the bundle that he had tucked underneath one arm, gaze slowly turning towards him. Were he in his right mind at the moment, he too, probably would have been embarrassed about this, but as it was, he only cast a lazy smile towards the captured shrunken detective, almost looking pleased to see him. "Oh, he's here."

"Seriously, Heiji, I know yer sick, but that's not Kudo, that's _Conan-kun_." Kazuha informed him, heaving a long sigh. "Come on now, let's get somethin' ta eat. Ya probably haven't eaten anythin' since yesterday, right? Ya need some food in ya if yer gonna recover, ya useless lump."

"And can you _please_ let go of me already, _Heiji-niichan_?" Conan almost hissed, having more or less given up squirming, seeing as it wasn't getting him anywhere, and only making him look more ridiculous. Seriously, he knew that Heiji was the type who enjoyed physical contact, so it was reasonable to assume that he was probably also a cuddler- but he had expected that to apply to _Kazuha_ , when he finally managed to spit it out to her, not just whoever came into arm's reach whenever he was feeling under the weather.

Honestly, if he got sick after this, he knew _exactly_ who to blame.


	28. Practice Makes Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, he had assumed that this might be a bit more romantic.
> 
> (Characters: Mouri Ran, Kudo Shinichi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slides in a post canon Shinran oneshot for today- because there's like, zero percent chance that Ran won't be justifiably ticked at him after everything is said and done.
> 
> Until next time!

"Are you done resting, Shinichi? We're going to continue."

"Wait a second, Ran. Give me at least a short break here. I'm just not built like you." Letting out a gasp for air, Shinichi swore that he could still see stars dancing around his head. He was becoming increasingly familiar with the ceiling of Teitan High School's karate dojo, since that seemed to be the _only_ scenery he found himself looking at this past hour.

When he wasn't face down on the _floor_ , that was.

"You were the one who said that you wanted to train with _me_ , Shinichi." Ran noted, a rather stern note to her voice, as she cast a rather unsympathetic gaze down on him. "I told you right from the start that I was going to train you hard. If you wanted someone to go easy on you, you should have picked Kazuha-chan or Hattori-kun to teach you instead."

"Well at the time I thought..." Heaving a long sigh, Shinichi trailed off a little, for the moment continuing to lie on the dojo floor as if he were dead- and to be honest, he felt a bit like it too. He knew the moment that he sat back up, Ran would regard that as a sign of him being ready to continue, and the training from hell would began again.

Perhaps he should have seen this coming. Ran had taken the news that he had been Conan the whole time a little _too_ easily, now that he thought about it- he was certain that she was going to be _furious_ with him for quite some time after the truth came out. Instead, she had merely smiled, accepting the truth without a second thought- or so it had seemed at the time. The only thing that she _did_ insist upon was that Shinichi finally buckle down and pick up a martial art of some type to defend himself with, lecturing him quite thoroughly on the fact that _no_ , kicking a soccer ball _really hard_ wasn't _nearly_ sufficient enough, not after what happened to him.

He wanted to argue that point, seeing as he had been doing just fine with that all this time, but he knew she was more or less right- the days of using the Professor's Kick Enhancing Shoes were pretty much behind him. Even if he asked the man to make him a pair in his current shoe size, he was pretty sure that with his teenage body, the force of impact from anything he kicked with it might very well be enough to kill someone. Not an option, obviously.

And well... he knew better to argue with Ran when she got like that about something. When she wanted to be stubborn, it was awfully hard to convince her to act otherwise. When she had told him that she expected him to pick one of the three styles that his friends know, and learn from them, he hadn't given picking karate much of a second thought. Of course if there was someone that he wanted to teach him anything, it had to be Ran. Not only was she incredibly skilled at what she did, but she also had a reputation for being a kind and understanding teacher to her underclassman in the karate club.

Plus, having a little extra hands on time with his new girlfriend didn't sound bad either. Maybe a little romantic, even.

In retrospect, he really had _no idea_ why he had expected this to be at all romantic. He should have run away the moment he'd taken notice of that cold glint in Ran's eyes when he first arrived here. Foolish, foolish- why had he done such a foolish thing? Even letting Hattori teach him kendo would have been a better option than this.

Obviously, without a doubt, Mouri Ran was still mad at him- _furious_ in fact. And honestly? He couldn't blame her.

He had just been kind of hoping to get this all over with in one punch, rather than to have this be dragged out in the manner it had. His body was going to be sore in the morning- and he still had _more_ lessons tomorrow, to boot, and for any number of days after that. He could only hope that by tomorrow, the heat of Ran's anger would have cooled somewhat.

"Thought what?" Ran asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Come on, Shinichi, get up already. I'm going to have you eat, sleep, and _breathe_ these forms by the time I'm done with you."

"Can't you go easy on me, Ran?" In any other situation, Shinichi would have hated the whine his voice took on just then- but right now, he didn't care too much. Pushing himself up into a sitting position nonetheless, he sensed that he was only going to gain more of her ire if he kept lying there. "I'm a total amateur at this, you know."

"That's exactly the reason why I can't go easy on you." Ran almost snapped, sharply narrowing her eyes. A moment later however, her temper seemed to cool, and she let out a long breath, finally offering him a hand with which to help pull himself up with. "You were in a really dangerous situation there- you could have died back then, back at that amusement park. That was what _would_ have happened, if you hadn't gotten so lucky!"

"Ran..." Trailing off a little, Shinichi frowned, slowly reaching out to take her hand, allowing her to haul him to his feet. "Could it be you're doing all of this because you're worried about me?"

"Of course I'm worried about you!" Ran told him, not yet letting go of his hand- if anything, she tightened her grip on it. "There was a chance that I might have had to attend your _funeral_ , and we'd never figure out why you died in the first place, or even who killed you! You were _always_ like that, and you're still like that even now! Always running off into danger without giving it a second thought, without stopping to properly consider the people that you might be leaving behind."

"...I'm sorry." Finding himself at a loss for words, Shinichi decided to hold back his comment that she was hurting him- her grip was practically bone crushing. "I never meant to make you worry the way I did. I was only thinking of trying to protect you, of trying to protect everyone. I didn't... I wasn't trying to-"

"I know. I _know that_ , Shinichi." Ran told him, finally looking up at him, locking her eyes with his, and refusing to break contact. "But you were always so worried about protecting everyone around you, that you completely forgot to worry about protecting yourself. So I thought that at least if you knew how to properly defend yourself..."

"...Maybe if you knew how to do that, you never would have gotten into this situation in the first place." Ran told him finally, slowly releasing her grip on his hand- only to find Shinichi taking hers in his own now, giving her a rather apologetic smile.

"You're right. You're completely right, Ran." Shinichi told her. "I never really appreciated how dangerous this line of work can be before that incident. Took it lightly, even. I can't change the past, but I can strive to do better in the future." His smile growing somewhat, he reached up a hand, wiping away a stray tear that was threatening to fall from Ran's eye. "And I really can't think of a better teacher than you to help me do that, Ran."

"Shinichi..." Trailing off a little now herself, Ran slowly allowed a smile to appear on her face, nodding her head in response to his words. "I really was so worried about you, you know. All this time. When I found out that you had actually been by my side the whole time, I was actually sort of relieved. Thinking of you off by yourself in some unknown place, investigating some kind of strange case on your own for months on end... I never liked imagining that."

"Although I am still mad at you." Ran admitted after a moment, narrowing her eyes a little.

"So you really _were_ mad after all." Letting out a small laugh, Shinichi flashed her a grin. "I figured that was the case. Well, not that I can blame you. You'll forgive me though, won't you? After all, we are going out now, aren't we?"

"I've already forgiven you. I _can_ understand your reasons, after all. Especially since you said that you wanted to tell me at first, but it was the Professor who advised you against it." Ran told him, giving him a small smile. "I'm just also still mad at you."

"I'll take it." Shinichi said lightly, finally letting go of her hand, reaching back to rub one of his aching shoulders. He was using muscles that he'd never used during soccer practice, and it made him realize how sorely lacking he was in those areas. As he thought, people who knew marital arts were amazing. "Now then, shall we get practice to practice, Ran- _sensei_?"

"Of course!" A broad smile crossing her face, Shinichi nearly flinched as that same cold glint resurfaced in her eyes, as if it had never left. "And don't think for one second that I'm going to go any easier on you, Shinichi. When I'm done with you, there won't be a fiber of you left that won't have these forms etched into you."

"Please spare me, Ran."

"No way~."


	29. Only Just Coworkers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As vivid colors brilliantly lit up the sky, Azusa began to wish she had taken that first aid course.

If she had known that she would have ended up running this late, she wouldn't have picked something as difficult to run in as a faux fur-lined kimono and a pair of wooden sandals. While her attire of choice was just right for that evening's firework festival, it wasn't exactly suited for dashing through the streets, hoping that she would manage to make it to the place where she had promised to meet up with her friends before the fireworks started. If only she hadn't gotten spotted by her landlady, something like this wouldn't have happened- but once she started talking, she simply didn't stop!

With no real time to spare- barely even five minutes left!- she wasn't sure what it was that had made her stop dead in her tracks. A glimmer of gold, caught out of the faint corner of her eye, reflected underneath the dim lights of the alley that she had just passed, perhaps. The familiar tug that the sight of it gave her, even without knowing why. Hesitating for only a second, Enomoto Azusa spared one long look towards the shrine up ahead, before she turned around on her heel, backtracking to see what it was that had caught her eye so.

Not glimmering gold, as it turned out, not that she thought it would be- but rather a pale blonde color, of a rather familiar hue. While she didn't see him every day, it would be hard put for her to miss the likes of Cafe Poirot's newest part timer, given the way that he stood out from a crowd. She had asked him if it were bleached that color once before- and just as distinctly remembered being embarrassed when he'd told her it was his natural color.

"A-Amuro-san!"

Just the way that he was slumped over, almost seeming to fight for every breath he took was cause alone enough for alarm- but it wasn't even the main reason she felt it rise within her. Rather, it was the bright red color that was staining his otherwise black clothes- not a friendly substance such as paint, but something that brought with it a faint scent of iron, one that made her gut churn, even as she knelt down by his side, trying to get a better look at what was wrong. The blood seemed to be seeping out from his right side, where had pressed his hand, trying in vain to stop the flow of blood.

A million thoughts flooded her mind all at once. What was Amuro even doing here? He had called off work that morning, as he sometimes had in the past. She hadn't thought anything strange about it at the time, but what if he had been mixed up in some kind of trouble? How did he end up like this? Who did such a thing to him? She knew full well that he was a detective, had even seen him work to solve cases before, but... 

Had something happened on a case of his? How had it managed to come to this? What about the culprit? No, no, before that-!

"Wait just a second, I'll call an ambulance!"

It was a natural response to such a scene, but as she reached into her purse for her cellphone, she found Amuro's hand on her wrist, finally meeting her eyes. As he gripped her wrist as tight as he dared, leaving behind a hand print of sticky, red blood, he slowly shook his head, giving her that same smile that he always wore, no matter the situation.

It was less effective when there was a faint trail of blood trickling down from his lips.

"It's fine, Azusa-san." Amuro almost croaked out, as if he was forcing himself to speak. Frankly, she was the last person in the world that he expected to find him here, in this state. He still didn't fully understand how things had turned out this way, only that his cover had been blown in the worst way possible. He couldn't even contact any of his fellow public security bureau employees, since he'd needed to break his cellphone, to prevent it from being used to track him, or from it being used against him.

"Didn't you say something about watching fireworks with your friends?" Amuro gasped out, forcing himself to draw in a long breath. "If you stay here too long, you'll miss it. You should go."

If she stayed here any longer, there was a chance that she might get mixed up in this. He was pretty sure he had given them the slip for the moment, but who knew when they would catch up with him. Not long- especially not with the likes of _Gin_ gunning for his head.

There was no way that guy would be satisfied with just shooting him in the stomach.

"There's no way I can just leave you here!" Azusa protested. "And there's no way it's fine! Look at all the blood you've lost, Amuro-san! We have to hurry up and get you to a hospital, or else-!"

"I'm afraid I can't afford to go to a hospital just now." Amuro told her, his fake smile not leaving his lips, even as he released her wrist, using his hand to push himself up into a standing position. The bullet had missed any of his vitals- but that was the only good thing about this situation. He knew full well that he wasn't in good shape, and without medical attention, he didn't think he would be able to make it. Even if he showed up at a hospital, there was a chance that he would just get everyone there mixed up in this mess.

"I'm sorry," he said, glancing down at the still kneeling Azusa, internally scolding himself for staining her with his own blood. Faintly, in the background, he could make out the telltale sound of a firework working it's way up into the sky, surely illuminating the darkness with it's bright glow- one that he couldn't make out from here, blocked by gray, cold buildings as they were. "...but I don't think I'll be able to come into work for awhile, Azusa-san. You should inform the manager that he'll need to hire another part timer."

"Now's not the time to worry about something like that!" Azusa once more protested, jolting to her feet, her eyes narrowing sharply. "Not when you're..."

"There are various things that I haven't told you about myself, Azusa-san." Amuro told her, pressing his hand against his wound again, feeling blood seep out through his fingertips. He wasn't in much condition to fight back, much less run away- but he was pretty sure he could still escape from a simple cafe waitress if pressed. "It's better if you don't get involved with me any further. I appreciate your concern, though."

"I can tell that much already!" Azusa said, leaning down to take off her wooden sandals, tossing them to the side- they would only get in the way now. She was no detective herself, but one didn't need to be one to know that there was obviously something more to Amuro Tooru- otherwise he wouldn't be in state like this, refusing medical assistance, pushing her away in the manner that he was. From the start, he had always been that way- there had always been a wall put up between the two of them, that was more than just being simple coworkers. "Whatever secrets that you might be hiding, there's no way I can just abandon a person in need. Besides, you're not the one who gets to decide if I'm going to get involved with you or not! That's my decision!"

"Now, come on! If you can't go to the hospital, you can at least come home with me. My apartment isn't that far from here." Wrapping her arm around his waist, she outright ignored the small noise of protest that he made, instead shooting him a look, silently informing him that there was nothing on heaven nor on earth that he could say to change her mind, not when she had already made it up. "I won't take no for an answer, just so you know!"

Ah, but why hadn't she taken that first aid course when she had the chance to? Even if she brought him home, she wasn't sure if there was much she could even do for him, other than get him out of the cold.

"It's dangerous." Amuro warned her, his own gaze narrowing, even as taking a step forward sent a surge of pain through him. Nothing that he couldn't handle, really- it wasn't the pain that caused his usual business-like smile to disappear. "I can't tell you anything more, but there's some dangerous people after me right now. If they spot you with me, they won't let you off that easily."

"That's fine." Azusa insisted, flicking her gaze towards him, just as another brilliant firework lit up the night sky, causing the gold of his hair to glitter once more. "Regardless of what circumstances they're in, I can't just abandon someone that I know when they're this badly hurt!"

"We're only just coworkers. There's no need to go that far for me." Amuro told her, even as he took another step forward, falling into step beside the insistent young woman, who in spite of being shorter and weaker than him, had taken it upon herself to support him. It was something he had fundamentally realized from the moment that he had taken up his job at the cafe- that Enomoto Azusa was a good person.

Much different from himself.

Really, from when had he run so off the rails? If that guy were to see him now... he could only imagine he wouldn't be pleased with what he saw.

"Even if we're only just coworkers, that's still an important connection." Azusa told him, moving forward with him, one step at a time. "Now stop talking already, you're only going to make your injury worse."

Although it seemed as if there was more that he wanted to say, instead Amuro simply shut his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. There was nothing he could do to change her mind- that much was clear from the resolve reflected in her eyes. Instead, he simply allowed himself to be lead back towards her apartment, the sound of fireworks blossoming in the sky behind them the only sound shared between the two of them, not even looking back to see the vivid colors illuminating the darkened night sky.

As it turned out, Azusa didn't need to know any first aid at all, as she watched Amuro's deft hands sew up his own wound, only assisting him in cleaning it as best as she could. It hadn't been until he had fallen asleep, perhaps against his own will, given how much he seemed to be resisting it, that Azusa allowed herself to finally relax, slumping down next to the couch that he had drifted off on. At the very least, he wasn't bleeding anymore, so she could only hope that he would make it through to the morning.

Although she fought it herself, sleep eventually came for her too, leaving her to drift off where she was, at the foot of the couch where Amuro slept, a thick blanket around him to keep him warm. She hadn't even had a chance to wash the blood off of her hands- and she doubted she would ever be able to get it out of her kimono. Her thoughts were dwelling on the fact that she would have to get a new one, when sleep finally claimed her.

When she woke, and felt a soft pressure around her shoulders that hadn't been there before, she already knew that she didn't need to check to see if he was still there. Grasping at the blanket that she had lent him, one that was now draped over her own body, Azusa's brows furrowed together, holding the fabric tight as she laid eyes on her bloodstained, empty couch.

In the end, he didn't even leave behind so much as a note. Slowly rising to her feet, Azusa clutched the blanket tighter to her chest, wondering what was going to happen to him from now on. Even if he had been right, and even if they hadn't known each other that well, that didn't erase the time the two of them had worked together at the same cafe.

She, at the very least, would probably never forget.


	30. Good Luck, Bad Luck, Worst Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luck can be a rather fickle thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years! Let's all pretend this obvious new years themed oneshot wasn't written nine days into the new year!

"Wow, Ran-chan! I've never actually seen anyone draw Great Luck before!" With bright eyes, Kazuha couldn't help but praise her friend. "Not ta mention the fortunes here are supposed ta be super accurate as well!"

"Well, for our Ran, something like that is to be expected." With a shrug of her shoulders and a teasing grin, Sonoko couldn't help but keep her amusement off of her face. No matter how lucky she got, Ran always stayed somewhat modest about that sort of thing- though she couldn't claim that was a trait of hers that she disliked.

"Geez, when you put it like that, Sonoko, it's kind of embarrassing." With a slight puff of her cheeks, Ran turned to face her good friend, before sparing a glance over towards Kazuha. "But your fortune wasn't bad either, Kazuha-chan. It might not be great luck, but good luck isn't anything to sneeze at either!"

"Well, that might be so, but..." Trailing off a little, Kazuha glanced down at the small paper fortune in her hand, letting out a long sigh. "I'd feel happier about it if my luck in romance wasn't the _only_ thing that was bad about it."

"Well, I only got small luck myself, though." Sonoko observed, glancing at her paper fortune. "And the romance part of it seems rather vague, speaking of which." Letting out a long sigh, she planted her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Honestly, to think that Makoto-san has a _wonderful girl_ like me waiting here for him, and he only comes home once in a blue moon. Well, although given my current company," she said, sparing a glance over towards Ran. "...I suppose I really shouldn't complain that much. At the very least I know what Makoto-san is _doing_."

"Well, usually." Sonoko added, after a moment's thought.

"Don't worry, don't worry. It says my luck in love is good this year!" Ran insisted, even as her cheeks tinted slightly red as she spoke. The slightly leering grins her words earned her from her two friends didn't really help matters much. "So everything should be fine! It's only just a matter of actually seeing Shinichi again, really. The next time I see him, I'm _definitely_ not letting him go."

"So you say, but considering Kudo-kun's own luck..." Sonoko said, heaving another sigh. "Maybe you should share some of your good fortune with him, as his wife~."

"Like I said, I'm not his wife!" Ran protested, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Honestly, Sonoko, isn't it about time you gave that line up?"

"Does Kudo-kun usually have bad luck?" Kazuha asked, frowning a little. "I don't really know him as well as either of ya, so..."

"Ah, now that you mention it..." Trailing off a little, Sonoko glanced towards the line they had just left from, after drawing their own _omikuji_. "Ah, there, there. He would probably be getting the exact same fortune as that brat in glasses is right now. See, you can tell from the look on his face that he got bad luck, right? Kudo-kun's luck is like that."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Sonoko's right about that." Ran admitted, glancing back towards Conan, watching as he grumbled at his fortune, tying it up on the wire rack out of habit. "Well, neither Shinichi or Conan-kun really believe in that stuff. I think they only draw one out of habit. It's tradition after all."

"Speaking of tradition, what made you and Hattori-kun come all the way out to Tokyo today, Kazuha-chan? Not that I mind, but there's plenty of shrines in Osaka, aren't there?" Glancing over at the ponytailed girl, Sonoko couldn't help but frown. "Wouldn't it be less crowded back there?"

"Ah, well that's..." Letting out a slightly awkward laugh, Kazuha's own gaze darted over towards where Heiji was, watching him open up his own _omikuji_. From the expression on his face alone, she could pretty much guess that it had been a miss here too. "I think Heiji was hopin' that a change of pace might change his fortune, or somethin' like that."

"Change his fortune?" Ran asked, frowning slightly. It seemed unusual that _Heiji_ of all people would be bothered by a superstition like this. "Don't tell me that Hattori-kun's fortunes are all..."

"If Kudo-kun has bad luck, then Heiji has _no_ luck at all." Kazuha told her simply, shrugging her shoulders. "Just look at him. We've been ta every shrine an' temple in Osaka over the past few years- an' even some in Kyoto, too! An' yet every year, without fail, he always, _always_ manages ta draw worst luck! An' from the looks of it, that's not changin' this year either."

"Well... in a way, you can't really say that's not it's own kind of amazing luck." Sonoko couldn't help but observe, watching a rather irritated looking Heiji tie up his fortune, only to tear it by accident in the process. "...But not any kind of luck I'd like to have. Maybe Hattori-kun is jinxed?"

"Who knows? It's _always_ been this way, ever since we were children." Kazuha said, shrugging her shoulders. "I guess it's no wonder that when ya put bad luck an' worst luck together, yer _bound_ ta run into troubles, no matter how good yer own luck is. I don't think even the force of Ran-chan's good luck can win against the force of Heiji's terrible luck."

"And when you put him and the brat in glasses together, it almost starts feeling like we're overdue for something happening." Sonoko couldn't help but quip.

"Come now, I'm sure that's not true." Ran began saying, but even as she opened up her mouth to protest a bit further, her words were cut short by the sound of a scream in the distance. With a rather blank look on her face as she watched the figures of both Conan and Heiji dash off in that direction without a second thought, she heaved a long sigh, looking between her two friends.

"...you might have a point, actually."

"So it would seem." Kazuha said, already reaching into her purse to pull out her cellphone. "Come on, we'd better join them. They'll probably want someone ta call the police."

"Not to mention an ambulance." Ran observed, pulling out her own cellphone, getting it at the ready.

It seemed as if it was going to be the start of another long year.


	31. Haunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If one were to ask, he definitely hadn't expected his life to end in an amusement park. (AU)

Being a detective was dangerous work. Even from a young age, that was something he had clearly understood. It wasn't something to be taken lightly, not something to get involved with if you weren't taking it seriously, but even so, if there was one thing that high school detective Kudo Shinichi _hadn't_ considered, it was that his life would end in an _amusement park_.

To think that he had even reassured his childhood friend that no danger could possibly befall anyone in such a place... only for two murders to end up happening, within such a short span. A man decapitated on a rollercoaster by a scorned lover, and that of his own.

If he had known that his life was going to end like this, he would have been more honest with the one that he had ended up leaving behind. She was only one of many, but out of them all, she was the one who meant the most to him. As he watched her cradle his lifeless body, pleading for him to wake up in a voice that was quickly growing ragged from overuse, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, he could feel nothing else but a deep, deep sense of regret.

He should have told her that he loved her when he still had the chance. But in the end... maybe it was actually better this way. If she knew something like that, only to lose him... the only change would be that her pain would be even worse than this. It was almost more than he could bear.

He didn't even have the strength to get angry about the fact that ghosts, apparently, existed, nor about finding out this fact by becoming one himself. In a way, part of him was almost grateful. He might no longer exist in her world, but at the very least, he wouldn't have to leave her side, not like this, not with nothing settled, nothing solved. Even if nobody could see him, even if nobody could hear his voice any longer- at least he hadn't entirely faded from existence yet.

That meant he could still do _something_.

More than justice for his own murder, more than putting a stop to whatever dastardly things those shady men in black were up to, what he wanted the most was to give Ran some form of closure, some kind of answer as to what had happened that day. The men who had poisoned him claimed that it was untraceable, turning him into a human guinea pig in order to test it. As he followed the investigation into his own untimely murder, he came to understand that their claims were all too true, leaving the police at a loss.

He couldn't let it end like that.

But in order to do that, he would have to find a way to interact with the world of the living- without any kind of influence, he lacked the power to do anything about his own situation. He simply couldn't let that be.

One of the first things that he discovered was that while it appeared that most people indeed couldn't see him, there were those who could still faintly hear his voice, when he really focused. They didn't seem to register it as belonging to him, sometimes hearing it as nothing more than the sound of their own thoughts. Determining who could and couldn't hear it was trickier than it sounded, but with that, he knew that there were things that he could still do.

It was to his great regret that among the people who could still faintly hear him, Ran wasn't one of them. The fact that her father _could_ almost seemed like fate was mocking him- a belief that was all but cemented when he found that their mutual friend, Suzuki Sonoko, was one was well. The one person who he wanted to call out to the most, to tell her any number of things, couldn't hear him, couldn't see him, couldn't even so much as sense his presence.

At least, not usually.

Sometimes, ever so faintly, she seemed to pick up on his presence. A feeling that someone was there, a familiar, warm feeling that seemed to put her somewhat at ease. He made use of each and every chance he got, rare as they were, but it was nowhere near enough.

The weight that Ran carried on her shoulders was too heavy, far too heavy for even someone as strong as her to bear by herself. She was carrying the weight of the guilt of not having been right behind him, having lost track of him when she'd stopped to tie her shoelace. In her mind, she had sealed his fate herself, and no matter who it was that had actually murdered him, she still felt that she bore a burnt of the responsibility for letting it happen.

He hated that. More than anything, he hated that. Even if she had followed him, there was a chance that she might have ended up just like him- and more than anything, he didn't want that. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault, to scream it so loud that even _she_ would be able to hear him. But no matter what he did, his voice couldn't reach her.

So instead, he had to settle for doing what he could for her. If her father could hear his voice, however faintly, maybe at the very least, he could use that to his advantage, to help turn their situation around. With the right prompting, Mouri Kogoro proved to be somewhat brighter than he had originally given him credit for- and a failing detective agency that barely made ends meet soon became a successful one. Sometimes it went to Kogoro's head, and he couldn't help but chafe at giving him credit for cases that he had basically solved himself, but if it made Ran smile, then it was worth it.

If he managed to get her parents back together, she would probably smile even more, but he was a detective, not a miracle worker.

It wasn't as if she had lost everything. Her parents were still there, and Sonoko as well. In any other situation, Shinichi might chafe at the way that Sonoko attempted to distract her, taking Ran with her on any of her endless schemes to find herself a boyfriend- and more importantly, to find someone that would allow Ran to forget Shinichi. It brought a bitter taste to his mouth, knowing far too late that their feelings had been mutual- but Sonoko was right. It really would be better for Ran to forget him, to find someone new, to move on.

Ironically, such attempts didn't net _Ran_ a boyfriend, but rather, _Sonoko_ found one instead. Still, it seemed to help, in the end- as she became invested in her friend's budding relationship, Ran was able to forget her own pain, at least for a moment. That was good, he thought. That was for the best.

Time heals all wounds, or so the expression went- and with time, he was certain that would hold true, even for a wound so deep.

As time passed, he found more people who could faintly make out the sound of his voice, expanding the number bit by bit, extending his reach into a world that he was no longer a part of. That young police detective working underneath Inspector Megure, who could be a bit bumbling at times, but was otherwise both bright and good natured. The strange girl that his next door neighbor had taken in, who he came to resent for far too long upon learning that not only was she the one responsible for creating that poison, the one that had killed him, but that she had survived taking it herself, merely shrinking down to the size of a child as a result.

The more he learned about her though, the more he was able to slowly forgive her, bit by bit. Maybe not entirely, _never_ entirely, for without her, he wouldn't be in this situation, nor would Ran- but the deep pain that she carried within her chest was more visible to him than anyone else. It was ironic, in a bitter, twisted way, that it was his voice that she could make out, and not that of the young woman who never left her side, trying in vain to comfort her in her darkest hours, knowing that her voice would never reach her.

He didn't know what he could do for Miyano Akemi, and she didn't quite know what she could do for him either. Still, he had to admit, he was grateful to have someone around that he could properly communicate with, even if it _was_ another ghost.

Especially considering that the only _other_ person who could not only hear him, but also _see_ him as well, spent an awful lot of time trying to pretend otherwise at first. He almost didn't quite notice it in the beginning, though he had picked up on the strange way he had flinched when he had first floated into his line of vision. It was only the second time that they met that he became convinced that this Hattori Heiji, a fellow high school detective, was able to see him, and that he just obviously wished that he wasn't. In life, they had been rivals- or at least, the one known as the detective of the west had regarded them as such.

To his great regret, he had never even _heard_ of him while he was still alive. Maybe if he hadn't let his ego grow to such a large size, and had been paying attention to things outside of his little bubble, he might have- because Heiji certainly had more than heard of _him_. Not satisfied by what he had heard about Kudo Shinichi's death, and the unsolved mystery behind it, he had decided to investigate the matter himself.

A dangerous business, Shinichi had come to understand, one that had him fearing for the living that he used in order to seek out the truth. It might take years at this rate, but he would move with caution, careful not to create any further victims like himself. No matter what, he couldn't allow something like that to happen. If he could become their only sacrifice, that would be ideal.

And a dangerous situation that Hattori Heiji had decided to throw himself headlong into, heedless of the danger involved, even as he came to understand it a little better. It took ages just to get the hotblooded Osakan teenager to admit that, yes, he could actually see him. He'd grumbled about it considerably, muttering something underneath his breath about having sworn he had _ditched_ this ability in his childhood- but in the end, the two of them eventually became something akin to friends. It was the last thing he would have expected to happen after his death, forming a new friendship with someone- but he couldn't deny that he was grateful for it.

And not a friendship just for himself, either. As Ran befriended his rival's own childhood friend, a cheerful girl by the name of Toyama Kazuha, she began to have less time to dwell on his own death. As new friendships bloomed, she found other things to focus on, other things and other people, her world opening up more and more. He couldn't deny that it was painful to watch himself gradually fade from Ran's memory- but it was for the best. It was much better than watching her try and hold herself up, putting on a facade of being perfectly fine for the rest of the world to see, holding in her tears until there was no one around to witness them.

No one around but he.

In those times, it was all he could to put a soft hand on her shoulder, telling her that everything would be alright, that nothing was her fault. He knew that his touch wouldn't reach her, and that if he extended his hand even a little bit further, it would merely pass right through her. Sometimes he liked to imagine that she could hear him, but he knew that was never the case, even in the rare moments she could faintly sense his presence. In these moments, the darkest of times, there was nothing that he could do for her, except be by her side- even if she never realized that much.

If ghosts were created from regrets, than there was no doubt in his mind, that even more than being murdered, his main regret was Ran. It was leaving her behind, was letting things go unspoken between them. He would never be able to convey those feelings now- but he heard her own, time and time again, bitter words that were all too often accompanied by tears.

There would come a time when he was confident that she would be able to move on from him, to face the future for everything that it was worth. A time when she would no longer cry in secret, mourning the loss of both a dear childhood friend, and someone that she loved beyond even that, a time when she would no longer be burdened by feelings of guilt. A time when she would be free of the shackles that he had placed on her without meaning to, without realizing it, that he would do anything in his power to break.

When that time came, when everything had been solved, when those who were responsible for his murder were caught and locked away, he knew that he wouldn't be long for this world. That whatever traces of him remained behind, giving shape and form to his specter, one who couldn't even be seen, couldn't be heard, by the one who needed to see him most, would slowly fade from the world.

He wasn't sure what would happen after that. He wasn't afraid of it, though.

But until such a time, for as long as she needed him, even if she didn't know he was there, he would be at her side. Until the pain and guilt faded from her heart, until she could leave behind that heavy burden, break free from those shackles, he would be here, watching over her.

And when she could finally move on, so too, would he.

But until then, he would be here, by her side- as probably the only ghost in the world that she wouldn't mind haunting her. If only she knew.


	32. The Pied Piper of Puppies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everywhere she went, there they would go.

"Um, there's actually been something that I've been wanting to point out for awhile now, Sera-chan."

"Actually, I've been kind of wanting to say the same thing for awhile now myself." Ran confessed after a moment, almost grateful that Sonoko had spoken up first. She didn't know if she would have been able to do it herself, if she hadn't taken the incentive.

"Hm?" A small frown crossing her lips, Sera glanced over towards the pair. "What is it, you two? Ah, don't tell me that I have something on my face?"

"Ah, no, it's not that!" Ran said quickly, shaking her head, watching as Sera's hand dropped from her face. So she really didn't realize it after all- she was certain it was the first thing that would have come to mind, but it would seem as if she was mistaken. "If it was something like that, we would have told you about it much earlier, Sera-chan."

"Then, something in my teeth then?" Sera asked, blinking again.

"No, no, it's nothing like that." Waving a hand, Sonoko flashed her something of an awkward smile. She couldn't say that she wasn't already well acquainted with the idea of otherwise brilliant detectives being rather dense in strange areas, but still, she had been expecting better from Sera. "Like Ran said, we would have told you already if it was something that embarrassing."

"Then what is it?" Sera asked, tilting her head. Considering that neither of them looked very serious, whatever it was, it must have not been very serious, but... If anything, if she was to pick out a word for their mutual expression, it was one of uncertainty. Was there really something that she hadn't realized yet? Was it about the case? No, if that were the case, she was certain that they would have been far more direct about it.

"It's just that, ever since we got here..." Ran trailed off, casting her eyes downwards, before glancing back up towards Sera, giving her a slightly confused smile. Did she really not realize it? Maybe she was so accustomed to it, that it didn't even stand out as anything strange to her in the first place.

"...they've been following you around." Sonoko finished, planting her hands on her hips, her gaze turning downwards. "The puppies, that is."

"Eh?" Blinking a little, Sera glanced down towards her own feet, letting out a small laugh as it finally dawned on her what they were talking about. Kneeling down to scoop up one of the puppies that had amassed around her feet, she let out a small chuckle as it licked her nose, a bright smile crossing her face. "What, is that all? From the way you two were acting, I was worried that there was something important about the case that I had missed!"

"Ah no, nothing like that!" Ran told her, shaking her head. "It was just sort of surprising. I've never seen puppies flock to a person like that."

"Still, why are they just letting puppies roam around a crime scene anyways?" Sonoko couldn't help but ask, even as she mentally filed away Sera and puppies as being a rather cute combination. She always a bit dog-like to begin with, so perhaps they were simply sensing a kindred spirit.

"It can't be helped. The fence for the play area they were in is broken, and there's no other place to put them. They can't exactly just haul them all away." Placing the puppy back down, Sera rose to her feet. "And they've been having the run of it for about an hour before we even found the body, so at this point, it really doesn't make much of a difference. Do you not like dogs, Sonoko-kun?"

"Well, I prefer cats, but it's not that I dislike dogs or anything." Sonoko told her, shaking her head. "I just don't really care for the drool. Not to mention the _fur_. Although," closing her eyes, she couldn't help but grin, "...I suppose if they're busy following you around as if you were their mother, I don't have to worry about them slobbering all over me."

"Mother, huh?" Sera asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Well, it's always been this way, ever since I was a child. It drove my own mother up the wall sometimes, because I used to always come home with them. Rather than being their mother, though, it almost makes me feel more like I'm the Pied Piper. But for puppies, rather than for mice and children."

"The Pied Piper of Puppies, huh?" Ran asked, clasping her hands behind her back, a smile lighting up her own face. "That sounds a bit cute, Sera-chan!"

"Really?" Letting out something of an awkward laugh, Sera couldn't help but glance down once more at the gaggle of puppies sitting by her feet, obviously waiting for her to make another move again. "Well, if it's you saying it, Ran-kun, I'll take it as a compliment."

As if it echo the one that they had so taken to, all at once, the puppies began to bark. At this rate, she was going to have a bit of trouble giving her deduction.


	33. Romance, Of The Worst Possible Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter what, you can't take a woman away from her trashy romance novels.

"Dad'll cry if he catches you reading something like that."

"Don't be silly, Shin-chan! I don't think your father even _has_ tear ducts." With a light hint of teasing to her voice, Kudo Yukiko marked the page she was on, closing the book she was reading to look down at her son. He was wearing such a surly expression on his face- honestly, it didn't fit that cute child-like appearance that he currently now. What a waste!

"...you might have a point there, but _still_." Arching his brows, Edogawa Conan let out a long sigh, casting another skeptical glance towards the title of the book that she was reading. "You're the wife of a world famous, award-winning novelist. One would usually think that you would have better taste in books than _that_."

"Oh? What's wrong with this book?" Yukiko asked, a coy smile on her face as she tilted it a bit closer to her chin. She knew full well the reasons why her son was voicing his disapproval over her choice of reading material, but it was always fun to make him say them out loud. "I happen to think it's very wonderful. Just because you don't like romance novels, Shin-chan, that's no reason to-"

"It's not because it's a romance novel. I like them fine- the _good_ ones, at least." Conan cut her off, deftly plucking the book from her hands- even if he did have to climb up on the couch in order to do it. Making a face at the cover, he couldn't help but wonder what artist they had hired to illustrate the cover, and how much they had paid them- probably not nearly enough. "It's because it's the _dime novel variety_."

He ever so briefly considered flipping through the actual book itself, but decided to spare himself from that. He didn't really need to check for himself to see how many instances of bosoms heaving there were to know that the number was likely plentiful.

"It's not a dime novel! I'll have you know I paid ten dollars for this book, back at the Los Angeles airport." Yukiko noted, snatching it back from him.

"In that case, you got ripped off." Releasing the book to his mother, Conan settled down next to her on the couch. "Paying a dime for a book with that kind of title might actually be way too much money."

"And that's why you'll never understand woman, Shin-chan." Yukiko told him, using her book to lightly tap him on the head. " _The Sensual Passions of the Duke of Rivermore_ is a wonderful book! I haven't wanted to put it down even once, not since someone _rudely_ interrupted me in the middle of reading it, that is."

"Besides, I love your father dearly, but his romances are never really that engaging. They're not _bad_ , but..." Yukiko couldn't help but remark, heaving a long sigh. "It's for the best that he's a mystery novelist. That couple from his last novel didn't really feel like they were that much in love sometimes. Sure, they got along well enough, but there was just something missing."

"And the Duke of Rivermore and..." Squinting a little to make out the small print on the back of the paperback book, Conan pursed his lips together. Just the cover and title alone were enough to make his head reel, but the synopsis took everything to a whole new level. Not only was this a terrible romance novel, it was also apparently, a terrible _supernatural_ romance novel. "...his faithful maid, Elizarelle- which _isn't even an actual name_ , I'm pretty sure- _do_?"

"Well of course they do! I'm only halfway through the novel, and they've already slept together three times now." Yukiko commented, a sly grin crossing her face at the way her son's face colored at that comment. Goodness, goodness, but there were times that his current appearance suited him far more than his usual. "Now, now, Shin-chan, if you get shy just hearing about that sort of thing, you're going to put poor Ran-chan through all sorts of troubles in the future~."

"Shut up. Don't talk so freely about stuff like that to someone who looks like a child." Grumbling to himself, Conan pushed himself up off the couch. "Well, suit yourself, I suppose. I guess there's a place in this world even for terrible romance novels."

"That's the spirit!" Nodding her head, Yukiko opened her book back up, pausing only for a moment. "Ah, that's right. If you're going downstairs to where Ai-chan is, tell her I should be done with it in about thirty minutes, maybe less. After that, as promised, I'll lend it to her!"

"... _Seriously_?"


	34. Black Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If he was lucky, the worst he'd get was a rather nasty black eye come next morning.

"Stay _still_ already, Heiji." Kazuha's voice came out in a hiss, growing sharper as he tried to swat away her hand, mumbling something underneath his breath about not needing to be fussed over. She wasn't about to take that, however- not one bit. "I'll fuss over ya however much I want until the nurse comes, Heiji, so just put up with it fer now."

"Like I said, ya don't need ta!" Averting his gaze from her, Heiji leaned his chin into his hand, grumbling to himself as she didn't listen to him one bit. "We can just get the nurse ta look at it. Besides, the other guy's worse off than I am, so why don't ya go fuss over him instead, if ya really wanna play pretend?"

"Ya know, it's exactly that kind of attitude that has ya still gettin' into fights, even though yer already in middle school, Heiji." Kazuha pointed out, arching her brows. "How do ya think yer parents are goin' ta react, when they hear that ya've been fightin' again? Especially yer father! I wouldn't have thought that the only son of Osaka's chief of police would turn out ta be such a _delinquent_."

He had gotten into plenty of playground brawls in elementary school, but she would have thought that he'd have grown out of them upon entering middle school. If he started to do that kind of thing in middle school, they wouldn't let him off with just a slap on the wrist and a call home to his parents. He would be lucky if he managed to avoid a suspension, as it was.

"Who's a delinquent, ya _idiot_?!" Lifting his head, Heiji shot her a rather sharp glare of his own. She didn't flinch one bit at it, and he'd expected that much of her- but it didn't stop him from doing it anyways. She was always doing this sort of thing- bringing up sore spots of his like that! "It's not like I picked that fight!"

"An' who cares what my old man thinks? He's too busy with work ta even come home half the time anyways." Heiji added, turning away from her again. The only reaction this would evoke from him was the same one that he seemed to get a lot these days- one of silent disappointment. "He probably doesn't care one bit what I do."

"Ya know that's not true, Heiji. Yer father cares about ya a lot, he just doesn't talk much, is all." Heaving a long sigh, Kazuha decided to give up fussing over his eye for the moment- there was nothing more that she could do now anyways. She'd cleaned it up as best she could- the rest was up to the nurse. If he was lucky, the worst he'd get was a rather nasty black eye come next morning.

"The exact opposite of ya, really." Kazuha noted, shaking her head. "Sometimes it's really hard to believe that the two of ya are _actually_ father an' son."

Ah. Crap.

Realizing her mistake the instant the words left her mouth, Kazuha watched as Heiji flinched, as if she'd been the one to throw the punch herself. That was exactly the sort of thing that she shouldn't have said- and yet it had just come out of her mouth anyways. Considering that was entirely what the fight he had just gotten into had been about, even more so. "No, I don't mean-"

"It's fine." Cutting her off, Heiji turned away from her, turning to face the window. "It's not like I don't know what people say behind my back. Doesn't matter anyways."

When you had a child that didn't resemble either of their parents very much, rumors were bound to start spreading. All the more so when one of them was as well known as his father was.

If it didn't matter, you wouldn't be getting into fights over it- but that wasn't the sort of thing that she was about to say out loud, not after that disastrous slip-up. It wasn't as if she believed any of it- of course she didn't! She had grown up together with Heiji, had been by his side since the two of them were both babies. Their fathers had been friends since they were in school, and had been partners in the police force after that- right up until Heiji's father had gotten himself promoted to the highest office in the prefecture.

He had been proud of him, back then, so open and earnest about how much he had admired his father- she couldn't help but wonder when that had changed. Perhaps it was inevitable. Hattori Heizo was a hard man to read, hard to gauge, and Heiji... well, Heiji _wasn't_.

The exact opposite of his father. Where the man was stoic and always composed, Heiji was hotblooded and temperamental, always wearing his heart on his sleeve. Perhaps it was inevitable that one day, a rift would form between them, even if it was one that nobody had even tried to create. For as much as Heiji seemed to think that his father didn't care for him, she knew that wasn't true.

Not that she could ever manage to convince him of that.

"Heiji." Kazuha spoke up, watching the way her soft tone stirred him a bit- though he didn't turn to look back at her just yet. "Ya don't have ta listen ta them, ya know. What they say about ya."

There was a lingering pause there, before Heiji finally responded. If there was one thing that he had in common with his father, it was the fact that he didn't like showing his weakness around others. Even so, he had his moments.

"It's not like they're wrong, probably." Heiji said, closing his eyes, feeling his right sting as he did so. He had mostly been _winning_ that fight too- but damned if his opponent still didn't get in a good punch. "I just don't like the way they put it."

"Ya don't know that." Kazuha said, taking a step forward, so that she could stand by his side. "Even if it's true, they've had ya since ya were a baby, an' have raised ya all this time. I know that better than anyone. Isn't that what would matter the most?"

"Besides," leaning down so that she could look at him face to face, Kazuha cast a small smile towards him. "Like I said, ya don't even know if it's true or not yet, Heiji. Shouldn't ya figure that much out first before ya start worryin' about what it might mean? Isn't that right, _mister future detective_?"

"Yer makin' fun of me, aren't ya?" Cracking open one eye, the one that _hadn't_ been punched, Heiji's expression quickly turned slightly sour. "Someday I'm gonna make ya eat those words, Kazuha."

"Then, I'll look forward ta the meal!" Kazuha said lightly. This sort of expression suited him much better- even though the one that she liked best was still that bright smile of his. "But ya know, Heiji- rather than worry so much about what yer father is gonna do when he finds out, maybe the one ya should really worry about is _yer mom_."

Watching the way that he paled at her words, that hot blood of his running cold as they sunk into him, Kazuha couldn't help but admit that this too, was an expression that she was rather fond of.

"...any chance ya might help me out with that, Kazuha?" Heiji slowly asked, an almost pleading expression crossing his face.

"No way~." Clasping her hands behind her back, Kazuha took two steps back, a playful smile crossing her own face. "After all, ya just said a few minutes ago that ya didn't want my help, Heiji!"

"...is it too late ta take that back?"


	35. Down by the Seaside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miss a chance to embarrass her son? _Never_.

Coming to the beach with a bunch of first graders was, suffice to say, _not_ how Kudo Shinichi had planned on spending his summer vacation.

But nonetheless, it was how Edogawa Conan found that he was spending his time today. The exasperated expression that he currently wore on his face had very little to do with this unexpected change of plans, but rather, had everything to do with the current behavior of one of his companions. It was inevitable, he supposed- they were only first grade students, not yet mature enough to be left on their own.

Then again, he was pretty sure there were high school students out there who would do very much the same, so perhaps age had very little indeed to do with maturity. It wasn't that he _minded_ hanging around the Detective Boys, at least, not anymore- but there _were_ times when he had to admit, they could be a bit exhausting to deal with.

Like, for example, _right now_.

To make matters worse, it was way too damn hot out for this. Even being by the beach didn't seem to help all that much. To be frank, it was amazing that his temper hadn't snapped already.

"Genta!" Finally having enough of this, Conan took a step forward, his sharp tone loud enough for the boy in question to freeze in his tracks, like a deer caught in headlights. "Cut it out already! It's obvious that Ayumi and Mitsuhiko don't like it."

"Eh, what's the big deal?" Nevertheless seeming to realize he was being scolded even as he protested, Genta ceased his actions, turning to face Conan. "It's just a sea cucumber!"

"That doesn't mean that you should chase people around with it." Conan told him, casting a glance off towards Ai's direction. She had decided to not get herself involved with the matter- probably because she just didn't want to deal with the sea cucumber in question. "We came here to have to fun, not to bother other people."

"You're no fun sometimes, Conan." It was clear that Genta was sulking- but nevertheless, he seemed to comply, tossing the sea cucumber back into the sea. "I just thought it was neat! They didn't have to run away!"

"But it's slimy!" Ayumi protested. "And you were the one chasing us with it in the first place, Genta-kun!"

"Only because you were running away!" Genta protested right back, not seeming to fully realize the problem with his statement. Well, he was a child after all, Conan found himself thinking. That was to be expected.

Heaving another long, drawn out sigh, Conan couldn't help but wonder how it was that he had found himself in this situation, mediating a quarrel between children, when he could have been doing _literally anything else_. No, scratch that- he already knew the reason as to why this had happened full well. Come to think of it though, that reason seemed strangely absent.

Where had that woman gotten off to this time?

Were he paying a little bit more attention to Ai at the time, he might have gotten his answer. Or perhaps not- with the large sunglasses she was wearing, the only warning sign he would have gotten, the amused twinkle in her eyes, was largely covered up. As such, when something wet and slimy touched the small of his back, he felt himself nearly jumping out of his skin.

And _sounding_ like it too, something he would find cause to regret later.

" _Got you_ , Shin... Conan-kun~!" With a bright smile on her face, Kudo Yukiko knelt down behind him, moving the sea cucumber that she held in one hand up a bit, poking one of his cheeks with it. "Surprised?"

Turning slowly on his heel to look his mother in the eyes, Conan silently decided that as he suspected, there was in fact, no correlation at all between age and maturity.


	36. Information Gathering from the Local Rumor Mill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When scouting for information, the best place to go is usually to someone who has zero desire to keep their mouth shut.

"If it's Kudo-kun you're asking about, maybe you should try speaking with Suzuki-san."

"Suzuki-han?" Blinking slightly, Hattori Heiji gave the young man that he was speaking with a rather curious look. "Does she know him? Kudo Shinichi, I mean."

"Yeah. Suzuki Sonoko. You could say they're something like childhood friends, although I suppose calling them _friends_ might be saying a bit too much." 

When he had set out that morning, on a quest for answers about the missing Kudo Shinichi, he hadn't exactly expected that it would be this easy. A high school detective, mysteriously disappearing from the headlines, which used to be filled with him? It was something that had caught Heiji's attention right away, and seeing as the high school detective in question was his so-called rival, not exactly something that he could leave alone. He'd expected people to be a little bit harder to crack, and yet it hadn't been that hard to find a classmate to question, and the one he did find was more than willing to answer any questions that he had.

It was almost as if he didn't think all that much of Kudo Shinichi's mysterious disappearance.

Coming to the school the one who had been named as his rival by the newspapers had actually been his second option- really, he had planned on heading straight to his house. But upon arriving there, he discovered that the gates were locked, and from the look of it, nobody had been living there for awhile. The old man who lived next to him had confirmed that much- that Kudo Shinichi's parents lived out of the country, and that Shinichi himself hadn't been home in over a month or so.

All of it served to make him more and more curious. He had thought that there was something strange going on when he'd noticed that Kudo hadn't been up to anything lately, and it would appear that he had been right. Being absent from his home, not showing up for school... he couldn't help but want to untangle the mystery behind his vanished rival all the more.

"An'? Where can I find this Suzuki-han?" Heiji asked.

"At this time, she's usually at her club. She's a member of the tennis club." He told her, turning his attention towards the window. "You can see their courts from here, right? If she's not there, she's probably in the club room right behind them. Can't miss her, not with that big forehead of hers." The classmate remarked. "Well, aside from her, you could ask Mouri-san, but..."

"Mouri?" Heiji blinked. For some reason that name rang a bell for him, but he didn't quite know why. "Another friend of Kudo's?"

"Yeah. Mouri Ran. They're close, childhood friends. Her club doesn't have practice today, so I think she's probably already gone home by now." The classmate told him. "Besides, I don't think she knows anything much about where Kudo-kun has gone off to herself, otherwise she'd probably go and drag him back here."

In the back of his mind, Heiji couldn't help but think that this Mouri Ran sounded a bit like Kazuha. With a quick grin, Heiji thanked the person he had been speaking with, making his way down the hallway, heading for the stairs. He was finally starting to get somewhere- that was what his instincts were telling him. One way or another, he had no plans to go back home until he had gotten to the bottom of this- or until someone came and physically dragged him back.

A real possibility, knowing Kazuha.

First, he'd find where it was that Kudo Shinichi had gone off to- and then he'd settle things between them, once and for all. Honestly, to think that even that stern old man of his had praise for the young man, even when he gave him nothing but grief for his own detective work... that was what pissed him off the most!

What was so special about this _Kudo Shinichi_ anyways? Between the two of him, he was confident that he was probably the better detective. That said, he'd never actually met him before- but nevertheless, he was full of confidence that he could take the smug looking guy he had seen on television before down a few pegs.

Them, rivals? He'd be the judge of that!

Arriving at the tennis courts, Heiji looked around for someone he might be able to talk to. Calling out to a member that had taken a break for some water, she quickly directed him to the girl named Suzuki Sonoko, even going so far as to call out to her for him. He couldn't say that he wasn't grateful, considering how focused she looked on her practice- somehow he got the feeling she was the type who didn't care too much for being interrupted.

"So yer Suzuki-han?" Heiji asked, carefully glancing her up and down. Her last name also rang a bell from somewhere, if not in a different sense than that of the Mouri girl's. Vaguely, he wondered if she was somehow related to that Suzuki Group, but put that aside for the moment- it wasn't important, after all.

"That's right." Sonoko noted, carefully doing a study of her own of the young man who had called her out. She didn't recognize him, and yet it seemed as if he had heard of her- but not that well, if he obviously didn't know her face, which ruled out any hopes of this being some kind of romantic development. "You don't go to this school, I don't think. Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Hattori Heiji." Flashing a broad grin as he introduced himself, he took a step back, allowing her to get to her bag, so she could take a drink of water. "I've got a few questions that I need ta ask ya about a friend of yers."

"A friend of mine?" Sonoko blinked, before a slightly knowing grin crossed her face. "If it's about Ran, don't even bother. That girl's already taken."

"Ran?" Heiji blinked, before shaking his head. "No, the one I want ta ask ya about is Kudo Shinichi. I heard ya know him."

"What, so it's not Ran?" Almost sounding vaguely disappointed, Sonoko merely quirked a brow at who he was actually after. Somehow even when he wasn't here, he still managed to bring her nothing but trouble. "But that's right, I do know Shinichi-kun, unfortunately."

He was starting to understand what that classmate had meant by his earlier comment now. Still, at the very least, she did appear to be someone that would be knowledgeable about where his fellow high school detective might have run off to, if she was familiar enough with him to be on first name basis.

"And? What is it that you want to know about Kudo-kun?" Sonoko asked, folding her arms in front of her chest, casting a quick glance down towards the bag that was hanging off of Heiji's shoulder. "I don't remember him mentioning anything about knowing a guy with an Osakan accent before."

"Ah, that's because he doesn't." Heiji told her quickly. "I'm actually hopin' ta find him. I haven't heard anythin' about that guy lately, so I thought I would come an' see fer myself what's goin' on. An' maybe challenge him if I get the chance."

"Challenge?" Sonoko blinked. She didn't think he was speaking of soccer, so that left only one other thing... and it was that other thing that almost vaguely made her grimace. "Don't tell me you're another high school detective?"

"That's right!" Heiji told her, all but beaming at her words, pointedly ignoring the tone with which she had spoken them. "They call us Kudo of the East and Hattori of the West! That's why I got a bit lonely after not seein' that guy's name crop up in the papers fer awhile! So? Any chance ya know where he might be, Suzuki-han?"

"Lonely...?" Sonoko half muttered to herself, wondering about that choice of words. Odd guy. "Who knows. He hasn't told me anything, at the very least, but then again, we're only really friends because we share one."

"Although, come to think of it..." Sonoko trailed off, putting a hand to her chin in thought. "If there's one strange thing that I've noticed since Shinichi-kun has gone missing, it's the fact that Ran's father has suddenly started to get famous. I don't want to talk bad about my best friend's father, but before, he couldn't so much as solve a single case, and now everyone's calling him the Slumbering Kogoro, or something like that."

"Slumberin' Kogoro?" Heiji blinked, something clicking in his mind. "Ya don't mean the Sleepin' Kogoro, do ya?"

Come to think of it, he had noticed that name turning up in papers around the same time that Shinichi had disappeared, though he hadn't paid that much attention to it at the time. It hadn't really seemed all that relevant- but perhaps he needed to rethink that assessment. Mouri Kogoro... now he understood why that Ran girl's last name had stood out so much to him. So she was his daughter, huh?

"That's right." Sonoko said, nodding her head, a rather sly grin crossing her face. If Heiji didn't miss his guess, this appeared to be something that she had only just thought of- but well, it was still worth chasing, whatever it might be. He could make a rough guess of it, though.

"Maybe all this time, Ran's been hiding Shinichi-kun at her place?" Sonoko ventured. "They _are_ basically husband and wife already, after all. It wouldn't surprise me if the source of her father's sudden fame was all because of Shinichi-kun. Like he's been calling him or something in secret all this time."

"Why would he do that?" Heiji asked. That smug looking guy that he had seen in the newspapers... he didn't think he was the type to allow someone else to take credit for his own deductions.

"If I recall, Ran complained to him the other day that the reason her father wasn't getting any work was because of him." Sonoko told him, tilting her head in thought. "Maybe he felt guilty about it? Well, truth be told, I have no idea what goes on in that mystery idiot's head more often than not, nor do I really want to."

"An'? Do ya know where this Mouri Ran girl lives?" Heiji asked. It sounded like a reasonable enough theory, and even if it wasn't, he could at the very least get the address of the other person that he wanted to speak with out of her. How lucky for him that one of Kudo's friends was something of a chatterbox.

"Of course I do! I've known her since we were little, after all!" Sonoko told him. "But if Ran's really hiding him, you might have a tough time getting it out of her. Although I suppose if you tell her you're a fellow high school detective, she might let something slip."

"I'll keep that in mind." Heiji told her, his grin quickly resurfacing. How could it not? With every step he took, he felt as if he was getting closer and closer to his goal- he wasn't going to leave here without facing down that so-called rival of his.

Or at the very least, that had been the plan. But plans, as they were, had a way of going awry in ways least expected. And frankly, Heiji wasn't certain which was more beyond his predication- that Kudo Shinichi had been forced to take some mysterious drug, and had been shrunken down to the size of a child...

...or that he would end up becoming best friends with the very one he wanted to challenge.


End file.
